2025 Summer Stories

I thought about creating a summer transfer thread but figured we could make this all encompassing. I don’t have any transfer news… or rumors… yet.

But I do have this story about Robinson who had been nursing a knee injury for a bit this season. The good news is that he underwent successful surgery and, without any setbacks during rehab, will be ready for the start of next season.

https://www.si.com/soccer/usmnt-star-undergoes-knee-surgery-return-date-targeted

 

As for the transfers, below is a list of the players and when their contract expires. First here are the guys who are out of contract:

Carlos Vinícius
Kenny Tete
Tom Cairney
Willian​

Of those players the most important one to keep is Tete. I also wouldn't mind having Cairney around for one more season, but I won't be heartbroken if his time at Fulham has come to an end.

Nelson was the only player brought in on loan and the only player out on loan was Luke Harris. Harris played regularly at Birmingham, but not for a lot of minutes.

Here are the remaining players and when their contract expires:

Adama Traoré 2026
Andreas Pereira 2026
Harry Wilson 2026
Josh King 2026 - This is a guess, I couldn't find an exact date
Raúl Jiménez 2026
Rodrigo Muniz 2026
Ryan Sessegnon 2026
Steven Benda 2026
Bernd Leno 2027
Calvin Bassey 2027
Harrison Reed 2027
Issa Diop 2027
Sasa Lukic 2027
Timothy Castagne 2027
Alex Iwobi 2028
Antonee Robinson 2028
Jorge Cuenca 2028
Martial Godo 2028
Emile Smith Rowe 2029
Joachim Andersen 2029
Sander Berge 2029
​

I wouldn't mind seeing Benda and Reed move on. Diop is a bit weird. I thought he played well when we saw him, but he was invisible for much of the latter part of the season, even as Andersen didn't always look at his best. I won't be surprised if he goes to another team.

The player I'm most worried about leaving is Robinson. I wonder if this knee surgery might help scare off bigger clubs. I certainly want him back at Craven Cottage in August, fit and ready to go.

I am worried about this transfer window. Fulham finished mid table, but many of the teams below Fulham could make a push up. We have to consider Manchester United and Tottenham's terrible finishes as anomalies. Everton and Wolves looked better under new management and Palace did really well in the second half of the season. I worry that there is very little margin for error going into next season.

Fulham's greatest need is scoring. They must find players who can put the ball in the net. Injuries to Wilson and Nelson may have taken away the best scoring options for much of the season. So if Wilson is healthy, Nelson gets a contract, and Sessegnon gets more playing time, then Fulham has the potential to be more dangerous with existing players. However, I would like to see some new players come in with more scoring potential and attacking edge, particularly in the midfield. Possibly Josh King could be that person, but it would be risky to rely on him entirely.

If Fulham can't keep Tete then right back will be a top need. Beyond those critical needs, I'd like to see a better back-up keeper.

And please, please Tony - don't wait until the final week to do most of the business.