2020 Summer Transfer Window

Discussion in 'Fulham FC News and Notes' started by MicahMan, Jul 8, 2020.

  1. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2014
    It feels a bit odd to start this thread now. It feels both late to be doing it since usually we've been discussing this since May, but then it also feels early to discuss this since the season isn't over.

    Anyway, time marches on...

    The big news today is that Fulham signed Knockaert from Brighton and Hove to a three year contract that I'm sure is worth way more than he deserves for the 3 league goals he provided this season.

    http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/july/08/anthony-knockaert-made-permanent
     
    #1
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2020
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  2. SoCalJoe

    SoCalJoe Well-Known Member

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    Let’s hope that w/Knockaert getting that security, his mind will be at ease and he can free himself up from his goal scoring funk. His effort and energy is always good, some end product the rest of the way would be nice.
     
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  3. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2014
    Just as a reminder here is the status of the players on the roster:

    Players On Loan:
    Harry Arter
    Terence Kongolo
    Harrison Reed

    Players with Contracts Expiring This Summer

    Luca de la Torre
    Neeskens Kebano
    Denis Odoi
    Matt O'Riley

    Other Players and The Year Their Contract Expires

    Marcus Bettinelli 2021
    Cyrus Christie 2021
    Kevin McDonald 2021
    Tim Ream 2021
    Joe Bryan 2022
    Michael Hector 2022
    Maxime Le Marchand 2022
    Stefan Johansen 2022
    Alfie Mawson 2022
    Josh Onomah 2022
    Steven Sessegnon 2022
    Anthony Knockaert 2023
    Bobby De Cordova-Reid 2023
    Tom Cairney 2024
    Ivan Cavaleiro 2024
    Aboubakar Kamara 2024
    Aleksandar Mitrovic 2024
    Marek Rodak 2024
     
    #3
  4. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

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    I forgot Fulham's three guys out on loan:
    Fabri 2021 (played just one match for Mallorca, gave up three goals, been out with a foot injury recently)
    Jean Michaël Seri 2022 (played extensively for Galatasaray since December, 2 goals, 3 assists)
    André-Frank Zambo Anguissa 2023 (played all but two league matches for 5th place Villarreal, 1 goal, 1 assist, 6 yellows)
     
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  5. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    Love to keep Odoi, regardless of what league we're in. I'd also love to keep Reed, but I'd be surprised if Southampton didn't take him back. He's ready for regular appearances in the Prem.
     
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  6. SoCalJoe

    SoCalJoe Well-Known Member

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    The players need to step away and chill for a couple weeks, the club had 24 hours. Saw Cairney mention that he hopes the club learned some lessons (specifically about team chemistry) from the last time, the captain knows we need to add Prem quality players but not at the expense of team spirit. First order of business is find out if Southampton is willing to part w/Reed. We screwed up by letting Matt Targett return to them, and Reed is arguably a better player.

    Rumor already that they are interested in having Sess back on loan from Spurs. Not a word from us; but after getting promoted, Sess getting no playing time from the Not So Special One, and Sess sending out a congratulatory tweet it’s easy for the rags to write about it. Forget if there is any truth, would y’all be interested in having Sess back?
     
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    Last edited: Aug 6, 2020
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  7. stlouisbrad

    stlouisbrad Well-Known Member

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    I'd love to have Sess back, but I just don't see it happening. In my mind we should focus 1st on a Center Back. I like Ream, but not as my normal starter in the Premier League. I think Hector can start at this level. I also think we need to find a quality player to backup or pair with Mitrovic. Given his temperament and hamstring issues, I worry he might miss quite a few games.
     
    #7
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  8. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2014
    In case anyone wondered, I merged two threads about the transfer window together.

    Kebano was given a two year extension: http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/august/05/neeskens-kebano-contract-extension
    If he could keep delivering free kicks in the PL like he did in the last few weeks, that could be a big help. Executing on free kicks and corners kicks gives lesser teams a better shot at scoring when they aren't going to control the match. I don't think Fulham has had anyone that could consistently deliver in that way since McCormack. I don't remember Kebano being that kind of player before, but I liked what I saw in the past month!

    Totally agree. @jumpkutz was spot on in the Brentford thread that Hector made so many key decisions in the match that just kept them from getting anything going. He was the main (but not only) reason there wasn't an opposing goal for over 120 minutes in that match.

    I also think we need a better goalkeeper. I just don't have confidence that either of our two guys now can provide the leadership needed. Fulham bombed out at upgrading the goalkeeper last time they came up, so I'm worried they aren't even going to try this time.
     
    #8
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  9. jumpkutz

    jumpkutz Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    And so it begins again.
    Luca to Holland.



    One of the things I truly don’t understand about the business aspect of this sport: why invest so much time, energy and money developing and loaning out, often multiple times, young players such as this, only to see them leave before they can make any significant contribution to the first team? I think I posed this question about Dan Burn several years ago, but I can’t recall the explanations, and I’m too busy to search for it.
    P.S. REALLY wish I could’ve joined the Zoom party Tuesday so I could put faces with the names of all you beautiful people! Hopefully I’ll get the chance again soon when I’m NOT working while we’re playing.
     
    #9
  10. timmyg

    timmyg Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2006
    Could say the same for the likes of Cauley Woodrow, Chris David, and others. de la Torre couldn't crack the first team under 3 different managers. It stinks, but not surprising

    Fulham are in a tricky position where our youth academy isn't as good as we like to think. Anytime we develop a high potential player, they're immediately purchased or move on. See: Ryan Sessegnon, Dembele, Roberts, Elliot (okay he wasn't technically a bonafide ffc youth player but still; am I missing any one else?) Players of that ilk know once their contracts are up there are greener pastures financially and potentially.
     
    #10
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  11. jumpkutz

    jumpkutz Well-Known Member

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    Greener financially, perhaps, but not necessarily on the pitch. Ryan Sess: 6 appearances, 3 starts, 626 minutes for Spuds this season, but none after Jan. 22nd. Pic on a milk carton for the rest of the season under Mourinho.
     
    #11
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  12. nevzter

    nevzter Well-Known Member

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    I've heard this theme espoused around these parts already but still good to read nonetheless.

    https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...m-their-2018-promotion-which-led-to-a-letdown

    The ball thudded into the net as David Raya, seemingly in slow motion, scrambled in vain to prevent Joe Bryan’s freakish free-kick from creeping inside his right goalpost but perhaps the most striking image of the Championship play-off final arrived after the final whistle, when an emotional Scott Parker was trying to put it all into words.

    Moments earlier, as tears pooled in his eyes, Parker buried his head in Aleksandar Mitrovic’s shoulder. He was elated but exhausted after a campaign that began with pre-season testing 409 days earlier culminated in the Fulham players bobbing up and down in a deserted Wembley, basking in the joy of promotion.

    But enjoying it, Parker says, is not the best way to put it. “You can’t really, you can’t,” he said, tightening his shoulders, his voice cracking slightly. “You win a football match and by the time you get to Saturday night and you’re drinking a beer or having a little bit of a Chinese, all of a sudden you’re thinking about Monday morning and what the next game is.

    “We live in a world and [work in] a profession where you win a game but lose the next one and you’re deemed as a failure. I hope after tomorrow I can sit down with the family – with my wife and kids – who for the last year have probably been [walking] on eggshells at different moments, and they can just get their husband back, get their dad back. When you’re going at 100mph, sometimes you lose sight of other things and I’ve probably done that – family and everything else.”


    [​IMG]
    Scott Parker warns against 'drastic changes' after Fulham's play-off win
    Read more

    Parker hopes to have a breather before returning to the coalface next week, acutely aware the Premier League season is five weeks away. His honesty was refreshing, a fascinating snapshot of the 24/7 life of a manager, and spoke volumes regarding the painstaking process of picking up the pieces after a relegation season that had featured three managers, a conveyor belt of lavish signings and left the squad nursing psychological scars.


    Parker was handed a hospital pass – the ruins of a spectacular failure and a divided dressing room – when taking permanent charge last May. He deserves immense credit for putting the jigsaw back together and building a team Fulham can be proud of.

    Bryan credits Parker with overhauling a “losing culture” and the manager also harnessed great expectations. “When you’re expected to win a league by 20 points after a disappointing season, it’s difficult,” he said.

    This time Fulham must not rip it up, nor throw another £100m at the transfer market and hope it sticks. “We need to keep the team spirit together – I think we lost that a little bit too early the last time we went up,” said the captain, Tom Cairney.

    Beyond Mitrovic, two key players had a point to prove: Harrison Reed, the Southampton midfielder who has spent the past three seasons on loan at different clubs, and Michael Hector, a serial loanee. Tony Khan, the Fulham director of football, tells of how he persuaded Hector to sign by showing off his medal from the promotion season under Slavisa Jokanovic in 2018, saying the defender would have one of his own if he came to Craven Cottage.

    [​IMG]
    (Left to right) Josh Onomah, goalkeeper Marek Rodak and Michael Hector celebrate at Wembley on Tuesday after clinching promotion to the Premier League. Photograph: Kieran McManus/BPI/Shutterstock
    Hector had to make do with training and no matches for four months before being able to play because his deadline-day transfer was not registered in time. The defender, an £8m acquisition from Chelsea, for whom he never featured, was worth waiting for, and the club could do worse than make Reed’s stay permanent.

    Mitrovic could also do with a helping hand in attack, with Cairney the second-highest scorer on eight goals, Bobby Decordova-Reid having struggled to reprise his prolific final season at Bristol City.

    One of the most alarming aspects of Fulham’s last top-flight stay was the goalkeeping situation. Fabri, a £5m signing, started the first two games and never played another minute. Marcus Bettinelli, the first choice en route to the 2018 promotion, returned for the third game but was back on the bench by October. Then it was Sergio Rico’s turn but the Sevilla loanee endured a torrid time, conceding 61 league goals.

    Parker addressed the issue this season, dropping Bettinelli and handing a then 22-year-old Marek Rodak his debut in October. In the following game the Slovakia international was sent off after 17 minutes.

    “It was a big call for me to bring Marek in, a young boy who had experience at Rotherham [on loan in 2017-18 and 2018-19] but in terms of coming into this environment it was very different,” Parker said. “He has got his opportunity and not looked back, kept his shirt and deservedly so. He has someone pushing him who we all know could fill that shirt, so he’s done very well.”
     
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  13. margaretellen

    margaretellen New Member

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    Nov 9, 2019
    Ryan Babel?
     
    #13
  14. FulhamTX

    FulhamTX Active Member

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    I agree 100% on the CB point. I love Ream but he didn't exactly impress in PL last time and he's not getting any younger. Mawson could be that guy if he ever gets healthy but let's be real, that's not likely to happen.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
     
    #14
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  15. astroevan

    astroevan Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I feel we've seen the last of Ream as a regular. I'm guessing he'll be a bench regular and only get minutes in cup matches or as an injury replacement.

    I'd take Sess back, but I don't know how that would exactly work out with Joe Bryan. I think it'd be awesome if they both played on the left with Sess in front of Bryan to begin, then they would be able to switch back and forth throughout matches or dependent upon specific matchup.

    Here's a question: I know some people were getting down on Parker at the beginning of the restart. Does anyone still feel that we need someone else in charge? I'm willing to move forward with Parker, but if the team starts poorly....
     
    #15
  16. astroevan

    astroevan Well-Known Member

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    Also, just came across this info for anyone else that wasn't sure. (From Sky Sports)

    Summer transfer window - key dates and times
    The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.

    A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm.​
     
    #16
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  17. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

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    I was never on board with Parker being given a full-time gig. I would have been fine with him getting replaced back in December. I questioned his decision making. I lamented that if Fulham did get to the Premier League that would probably mean his job was safe enough to get Fulham into relegation trouble.

    I feel entirely differently now. I don't know if Parker will have success in the Premier League, but I think he deserves a shot. From what I can see, Scott Parker managed the team very well through some challenging episodes after the restart and he seemed to get better as he went along culminating with the win against Brentford. Parker organized Fulham against Brentford in such a way that their high powered offense was rendered almost toothless. He recognized opportunities on set plays, most clearly with Bryan's spectacular first goal. He also played Mitrovic perfectly - he was only healthy enough to be a decoy. On both goals against Brentford, Mitro was the focus while Bryan got the job done.

    Those were some great management decisions, so I'm willing to get behind Scott Parker and see what he can do.
     
    #17
  18. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    Been without wifi for a few days ... so,, catching up:
    I don't see a Sess/Bryan conflict. There wasn't one during the playoffs with Kebano and Bryan. I'd like to see Sess as a left winger with Kebano on the right. Bryan's the better fullback; Sess would be a better winger.
    Agree that Ream's days are over. He does everything well, but he's a tad slow, and he still surrenders possession when not under pressure at times. We need a quality, mobile CB to pair with Hector.
    If there's anything we need to have overall, it's more pace -- especially in attack. I don't think Knockheart or Caballero are the answer.
    Agree that we should secure Reed if possible, but if I were on Southampton's board, I'd not let him go.
    Oh yeah, keep Parker.
     
    #18
  19. SullyTexan

    SullyTexan Active Member

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    #19
  20. SoCalJoe

    SoCalJoe Well-Known Member

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    After reading the Tony Khan interview about the clause in Reed’s contract, hunted around for more info and.....no one knows what the HELL is going on o_O. The poison pills and minutiae that goes on over there in the contracts will make you want to tear your hair out.

    Also there is the Seri and Anguissa situations. I think we should cut our losses on Seri, sell and press on. Anguissa is a more difficult. From all accounts he was excellent at Villarreal, he showed flashes w/us, and if Reed goes back to Southampton this could be a real solution.
     
    #20
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