Fulham’s rocky summer appears to be continuing with the news, via Fabrizio Romano, that their Brazilian winger Willian has agreed to join Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab just eleven days after signing a contract extension at Craven Cottage.
Romano has just tweeted the following:
EXCL: Willian has agreed personal terms with Al Shabab. Contract ready with the Saudi side for Brazilian winger. ????
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 3, 2023
Willian has already communicated to Fulham and Marco Silva his intention to leave and try new chapter in Saudi.
Up to the clubs now. pic.twitter.com/qYeajF2w6T
That doesn’t, of course, mean that the deal will go through. Al Shadab now have to reach agreement with Fulham over a fee for one of the stars of their sensational return to the Premier League last season and – as we’ve seen with Aleksandar Mitrovic – that appears to be a lot easier said than done.
All going pear shaped now.
This is getting farcical now.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Sil VC a changes his mind now and leaves us as well.
Very bad start for us
Why is everyone bleating on about the Saudi clubs. How is it any different to the way the top PL clubs have been acting for years. None of the players who are going are freebies so its cash in the coffers to be reinvested in players who want to stay in PL.
This really sucks. Great players selling themselves to play minor league soccer in a corrupt environment. Fulham will still do great without them. No player bigger than this great club.
It is getting increasingly unattractive to maintain an addiction to football. All the refereeing and VAR issues last season, generally the obscene amounts of money being paid for and to players and now the Saudification of the transfer market. If only I could kick the habit…
Honestly bro signed a contract extension, now wants to move. This is not good for fulham, now they are losing more good players then ever like willian and soon to be mitrovic. I also predict palphina will leave in january so they will probably go back down in 2 to 3 years.
2.5 Million gets Fulham bugger all in terms of finding a player of Willian’s quality. His age means next to nothing in terms of cash received. I’ve got to say that the Saudi .clubs have really disrupted Fulham above all other clubs leading up to the new season. God knows what kind of mental state the squad will be in come kick off at Everton.
Don’t think the Pl top clubs were doing it to ‘sportswash’ a murderous and repressive regime, Jezzer. So no,it’s not quite the same. I’m just glad Fulham haven’t been sold out like poor old NUFC.
If it happens its a pity at least he signed a years contract so we will get some money if he goes. Whether we get any decent football out of Mitro if he stays will be seen but no other club is prepared to pay up. I said before that big clubs and now the addition of Saudi big money spenders is wrecking football. In some respects I agree with Jezzers coments but it dosent make supporting your club any easier and with the club haggling over every penny instead of signing CHO and Gray if released by Everton its not getting any easier.
I know money talks and so players heads will turn…but….if we’d got our business done early and stopped penny pinching over players then maybe we’d be an attractive proposition. It’s hard to take us seriously with how this window has progressed. Preseason virtually over and we have Willian and Mitro unsettled and Bassey and Jimenez in. When will we learn. You need players before preseason not faffing about whilst the season starts and arguing over a couple of million here and there….otherwise you end up like this with the vultures circling and players wondering why they’d stay. I bet Marco is sitting there thinking about that 40million he turned down and I wouldn’t blame him
The Saudis seem intent of hitting our club more than others. An absolute farce if the rumours are true. He initially declined to go to Saudi Arabia and signed a contsct with us . We should demand 5 million. Nothing seems to be going our way pre season and I unfortunately fear we will be in a relegation battle.
William, Mitrovich and any of the other money grabbing c…’s who want to go, let them. Let’s get players who want to play for our club, even if it means playing kids and relegation. The club and it’s history will not be demeaned by these crooks and bloody Saudi Arabia.
I do wonder if the Saudis have some sinister reason for hitting on Fulham … or is it we have that difficult situation of being so good to get noticed but too small to fight them off . I think Marco needs a massive massive reception at first home game against Brentford …
Fulham should resist the approach from Al Shabab and tell them to jog on and never communicate with Fulham again. As for Willian the best place for him is training with the reserves until he comes to his senses. Players must honour their contract otherwise it becomes meaningless.
It’s true that a footballer’s career is short, but with today’s wages, players like Willian and Mitro and their families could live in luxury all their lives, even if they should live to be 100 years old. Some of the people who have plenty, always want more, but I didn’t think Willian was like that, since he behaved very decently when leaving Arsenal. In the current situation, he should have been honest enough to admit that he was for sale to the highest payer and skip the nice talk: “It always was my preference to come back to Fulham”, bla, bla, bla. “The journey continues!” It certainly does.
These footballers who presently earn more money in a week than a lot of supporters who contribute to their salary earn in a year have no feelings for their family taking them to that part of the world. We should not expect them to care about FFC and their supporters but their blood money will not outlive FFC and a lot of our supporters. I have love for FFC since 1963 and went to school and lived in the area up the road and they could win all they can but am FULHAM to the end.
Agree most said above. Have been coming to Fulham since 1960 Trinder sold Mullery behind mangers back we’ve had some bad owners before MAF brought us our best years. Always backed the khans money they have put in ground and players. But if rumour is true Willian has clause in his contact he can go free same window he signed in someone needs shooting . And we need a directer of football it’s a full time job, not someone out of the country playing round (acting) wrestling drama school what ever they call it
Mitro and Willian can go as far as I’m concerned. They have both shown that they have their own interests at heart
As for boy Khan its the same old shitshow. Leave everything until the last minute
The Khans only legacy will be the new stand. They know nothing about the history and legacy of the club.
Willian coming up to 35 years old, reasonable to take a final payday – especially if it’s a 2 year contract. No hard feelings, great effort last season!
I am really pissed off with this transfer window once again TK has left everything to the last minute and keeps offering peanuts to other clubs and their players and keeps getting knocked back by both, he has made us a laughing stock i wish he would piss off and let someone with the know how take over as he is clueless. The khan’s hiked up ticket prices and don’t want to upgrade our team from last season.
Let’s not forget what Alan Sugar did to initiate obscene money from Sky into the PL. The Arabs are taking it a step further (as they have just done with golf) and we seem to be in the firing line. If players’ consciences allow them to go to and work in a country with a murderous regime then they have to live with the dirty cash.
I agree that the boy TK seems unable to grasp the fundamentals of the close season and leaves us year after year with a supermarket trolley dash at the beginning of the season.
It wasn’t like this when I saw my first FFC match back in late 50s …