2022 Summer Transfer Window

What?! No time to just savor the best season in recent memory!? Well alright...

First off here are the guys who were listed by Fulham on the first team squad who's contracts are expiring this summer:

• Carvalho
• Fabri
• Francois
• Hector
• Kebano
• Mawson
• Ream
• Seri

I do not know about extension clauses, but the two that stand out for me are Kebano and Seri. I think both could play in the Premier League and I'd like to see them stay on. I'm frankly shocked I'm saying that, especially about Seri, but they both seem like transformed men under Silva and Boa Morte. Carvalho is gone for sure, but it would be great if some miracle happened that kept him on. Ream is coming off his best season for Fulham, but sadly I don't think he has a role to play in Fulham's future - and it really pains me to say that. I think we need to give Ream a great send-off from Fulham on a high note.

The only on-loan player was Williams. That is a change from past promotion seasons when it seemed Fulham was far more reliant on loans. It would be great if Williams could stay and with Tete provide two good options at right back, but I'll be okay if Williams doesn't stay on. (EDIT: I had incorrectly said "Wilson" three times in the previous paragraph originally! Is this like saying "Beetlejuice" three times? Does it summon him?! Anyway, sorry for the confusion)

Here is the rest of the squad with their contract expiration dates:

• Bryan 2023
• Chalobah 2023
• DeCordova-Reid 2023
• Gazzaniga 2023
• Knockaert 2023
• Onomah 2023
• Tosin 2023
• Cairney 2024
• Cavaleiro 2024
• Kongolo 2024
• Reed 2024
• Robinson 2024
• Rodak 2024
• Tete 2024
• Mitrovic 2026
• Muniz 2026
• Wilson 2026

The guys who I think have a place as starters on next year's squad are Mitrovic, Wilson, Tosin, Tete, Robinson, and Reed. I think that Cairney, Bryan, DeCordova-Reid, Onomah, Rodak, and Muniz can play supporting roles, but I don't think they should be the guys we start.

I think the three biggest needs for Fulham are in order of priority:

1. Central defensive partner for Tosin
2. Attacking midfielder
   
3. Goalkeeper

I wouldn't mind a seeing some other options to compete with Robinson and Kebano (if Fulham keeps him) for their spots. Also another defensive midfield option to partner/rotate with Reed would be good.

Fulham have the best core to work with from any of the past promotions. Hopefully a couple smart signings can allow Fulham to get firm footing in the Premier League.

 

There are also three players that have been loaned out by Fulham this season - Anguissa, Sessegnon, and Christie. Anguissa is under contract until 2023 but the other two are out of contract this year.

I don't know what to do or think about Anguissa. He played well in the Prem two years ago and could easily be the defensive midfield option that Micah mentions, but I'm not sure if he's mentally moved on or not.

Overall, I see plenty of fat that can be trimmed from the player list. I also place high importance on central defense and goalkeeping.

 

I could be wrong, but I thought there was a buy option in Wilson’s loan. Anyone recall?

 

I never saw anything from the offal but they do not list him as in on loan on the team page. And this article from April 25 quotes Wilson as saying that the deal has been done.
https://www.90min.com/posts/harry-wilson-permanent-liverpool-exit-fulham

I think there's some confusion in Micah's post where he's talking about Neco Williams but wrote Wilson.

 

Agreed. We need to add:
- At least 2 solid CBs
- One fullback for each side to compete with Tete and Robinson (can Sessegnon be it on the right?)
- Defensive mid competitor for Reed (we may already have him in Francois, if he's finally healthy (if he stays))
- Someone to replace Carvalho's creativity in the middle of the field (BDR is not it, neither are Cairney nor Seri (if he stays))
- One more winger for each side to compete with Wilson and Kebano (if he stays)
- One more class striker to give Mitro a push if Muniz doesn't do it (Mitro is at his fittest ever -- he can actually sprint!)

I'm not as convinced as others here that we need another keeper. With Rodak and Gazzaniga we have a couple of solid ones, if unspectacular. Invest in GK only if here are funds left from elsewhere.

Jettison:
- Bryan (I'm sorry; I love Joe, but he can't hang in the Prem)
- Carvalho
- Knockaert
- Christie
- Kongolo (really snakebitten - I feel truly bad for him)
- If a good offer comes in, BDR, but if not, definitely keep as a utility player
- all the expired contracts, except Seri, Francois and Kebano

Also, let's not forget we have a top academy. Are Pajaziti or Hilton ready to make a step up? Stansfield?! One of the Ashby-Hammonds? Opoku, Jasper, Ablade? And a few others who look really promising.

It will be an exciting summer. I hope Baby Khan has learned from the past 4 years, and will let Silva have the final say on all the player moves. I am a happy, happy Fulham fan.

 

Uh, yeah, I blew it and used the wrong "W" name. Thanks for catching it. I corrected it in the original post. Sorry @BarryWhite and @astroevan for causing confusion!

And one more thing I should have added to the original post... the transfer window opens June 10 and closes September 1. Other European leagues don't open until July 1 so, international transfers wouldn't happen until then.

 

@MicahMan no apologies needed. I enjoyed the post.

 

To be somewhat of a killjoy, I don’t believe anybody on our current roster is a Premier League automatic. Even Mitrovic. In the two seasons we were recently in the Prem with him, he scored only 14 goals in league play, 11 in ‘ 18-‘19 and three in ‘20-‘21. Yes, our inability to defend and get him adequate service were factors, but the numbers are the numbers. He scored at a much higher clip for Serbia during those seasons, so they figured out how to get him the ball in scoring position. And sadly, as most of you have already pointed out, few, if any of the players left from those seasons still seeing significant minutes distinguished themselves in the top tier either. I think Kebano can hang with the big boys. Wilson too, perhaps, although his slight frame gives me pause. I’m afraid he’d get bullied by bigger, stronger defenders just as fast and quick as he. I think Rodak deserves a chance to keep his spot. It seems the general assumption is that promotion means you need a new keeper. I don’t buy that. Alphonse Areola and Sergio Rico couldn’t plug the dike of our leaky defense. In the end, neither did any better than Marcus Bettinelli or Marek Rodak would have.
Realistically, you can’t overhaul the entire squad. But I largely agree with all of the previous choices for who should move on. And yes, let’s hope Tony has learned enough from his previous experiences to not muck it up again. I’m less optimistic about that than roster changes.

 

The thing about Mitro this season is that clearly Silva gave him a new purpose, new motivation. This Mitro is fit (he started showing a paunch last year), faster than I had realized, and much better than I ever knew in combination play and longer-range passing, too. The way Silva's team is put together plays to Mitro's strengths and limits the shortcomings (still not a speed-demon, still not a twinkle-toe on the ball). I think it would be a mistake to compare Mitro's Prem potential in Parker's setup versus Silva's (much less dogmatic, less predictable, more varied) as apples to apples. I'm curious how he finds himself in the Prem this time. Hope he proves me right.

For all that, I would still want us to bring in another striker to push Mitro or replace him if he's hurt or suffers a dip in form. Muniz hasn't convinced me, yet, and I would have wanted to see what some of the academy boys could do against grown men during some of these blowout games.

A very intriguing summer awaits.

 

Here are all the Prem players whose contracts end in June: https://www.transfermarkt.us/premier-league/endendevertraege/wettbewerb/GB1.

Here's the Bundesliga: https://www.transfermarkt.com/bundesliga/endendevertraege/wettbewerb/L1

Serie A: https://www.transfermarkt.us/serie-a/endendevertraege/wettbewerb/IT1

La Liga: https://www.transfermarkt.us/primera-division/endendevertraege/wettbewerb/ES1

Ligue 1: https://www.transfermarkt.us/ligue-1/endendevertraege/wettbewerb/FR1

Some interesting options if they don't renew or already have precontract agreements. I bet the Fulham brass are tracking one or two.

 

https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/05/ream-and-kebano-earn-extensions/

I love Tim, but I'm surprised Fulham kept him. He cannot play in the Premier League. Without Tosin's speed next to him, he can't play in the Championship, either. Perhaps it's for the locker room presence. Ideally, we'd find a place for him on the coaching staff in the academy setup.

 

I won't be surprised if they unload Ream later in the summer. This allows them to get at least a little something for him rather than nothing if he left for free. I don't think we'll see him play for Fulham next season.

 

@daddude7 Ask any Fulham supporter anywhere around the world about Tim Ream and the same 4 words start the sentence; ‘I love Tim, but….’

Not a Prem caliber defender, but what a credit to the club on and off the pitch.

 

I’m glad they kept Neeskens. He’s a handful one on one, and I still think he’s our best option on direct free kicks. As for Tim…yeah, he’s not a Prem defender. I think a brief trip through our PL “highlights” from ‘18-‘19 and ‘20-‘21 will confirm that opinion. Personally I’d like to see him come home to St. Louis City SC to finish his career, although they don’t begin MLS play until next year.