Fulham Transfer DealSheet: Centre-back and winger wanted, Willian's future to be decided (2024)

Discussing Fulham transfers before we get to July could be a little premature, considering the club’s penchant for leaving their business late.

Nevertheless, their recent recruitment has ensured the club have secured successive mid-table Premier League finishes, and that should factor heading into this window. There is now a strong base to the squad, which means rather than wholesale change, Fulham are looking for refinement this summer.

Last summer was defined by Saudi Arabian overtures for key personnel, and a late push to try to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich. If the club can keep any such vultures at bay, we might be in for a quieter summer in their corner of west London.

Of course, those may be famous last words…

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What are the priorities?

Right centre-back is a key priority. Tosin Adarabioyo has played a big role for Marco Silva since his appointment in summer 2021 and his exit as a free agent will be keenly felt. Head coach Silva likes to have two players for every position in his 4-3-3 setup and he is after a replacement for Tosin.

“If we are to improve, we have to sign a player at the same level,” Silva said in his final press conference before the summer. He also added that he would be seeking two new centre-backs.

The other priority is a wide player. This will become even more pressing should Willian choose not to stay when his contract also expires at the end of this month.

Any other areas to strengthen?

There is also interest in an attacking midfielder, while left-back is another position they may look to address.

That is not as pressing, considering Timothy Castagne and Calvin Bassey can cover there, but with Fode Ballo-Toure’s season on loan from AC Milan coming to an end, Fulham will need competition for Antonee Robinson.

A key consideration will also be departures. There are players still assessing contract offers, while any unforeseen exits — the story of last summer for Fulham — will dictate areas to address.

Are there any early targets?

Fulham are working through a list of targets, with Silva saying last month he has provided his suggestions to the board. With recruitment, he prefers to have players with complementary profiles — such as stylistically different wide players on opposite flanks. That may shape what business is completed.

Luton Town central defender Teden Mengi is one name that has emerged after consulting sources, who like all those consulted for this piece spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of discussions. Mengi was an important player for Luton and although the team suffered relegation after one season back in the top flight, the 22-year-old was one of the players who showed he could hold his own at Premier League level. Fulham are not the only team monitoring him.

Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe, 23, is also on the radar — particularly with uncertainty persisting over Willian’s future and Silva’s interest in acquiring a No 10.

Fulham have discussed the idea of a return for Ryan Sessegnon, but they are thought only to be preliminary at this stage. The former academy and first-team player has suffered a series of injuries since his 2019 move to Tottenham Hotspur, and while the 24-year-old is a free agent this summer, there is caution about his repeated fitness issues.

Which players have contracts expiring? And who might renew?

Tosin, as already mentioned, will leave on June 30 when his contract runs out — but isn’t expected to go very far. He is set to move across London’s SW6 postal district and join neighbours and rivals Chelsea, after strong interest from Newcastle too.

Willian, meanwhile, is considering his options. He’s been offered a new contract. Fulham have also put a two-year deal on the table for Bobby De Cordova-Reid, which the 31-year-old is considering.

Fulham have also offered a contract to Marek Rodak, buthe is likely to leave when his deal expires at the end of the month. The former academy player, who joined the club at age 16 from Kosice in his native Slovakia, has been a mainstay within the squad for a decade. He has helped win promotion twice, but lost his first-team place on both occasions once the club were back in the Premier League. Now 27, he wants to play regular football.

Kenny Tete’s short-term future has been resolved — for now. Last month, Fulham triggered a one-year option in his contract. A longer contract remains a preferred option for the club,however, so without a new deal, uncertainty may persist.

Who will make the key decisions this summer?

Fulham’s recruitment structure is streamlined. Owner and chairman Shahid Khan signs off on the transfer budget, and when it comes to talent identification, scouting, data assessment and then the mechanics of the deal, the key figures are Tony Khan, Silva and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh.

Tony Khan oversees the transfer process. He also leads on data analytics, with his recruitment team helping to implement the ‘two boxes ticked’ approach, covering scouting and data requirements.

Mackintosh is Silva and the younger Khan’s day-to-day contact. He focuses on finances. Silva also suggests key targets, and his influence on Fulham’s recruitment is noticeable.

Who will they be looking to sell?

Fulham do not want to sell any of their key players. But there is an acceptance that they are going to attract interest. The club will only sell for prices that meet their valuations — their positioning over Aleksandar Mitrovic last summer, who left for a club-record £45million, reflects that.

Joao Palhinha almost joined Bayern Munich last summer but whether that interest remains is unclear. The midfielder signed a new contract shortly after the summer window closed, but that is unlikely to preclude a departure if Fulham receive a good offer this time. “At the moment, today, the likelihood is I stay at Fulham, but we’ll see what happens,” he told football app Flashscore last month.

Antonee Robinson is another who caught the eye last season. Like Palhinha, he signed a long-term deal last year and is level-headed about his future, as he told The Athletic last month.

“I signed the deal because I was very happy at Fulham,” he said. “I want to keep on developing, I’m very settled here, I love the club. It wasn’t a difficult decision to sign. Interest from other people is great. Obviously it comes down to if someone wanted me enough to pay what Fulham would want, and if Fulham saw that as a good idea, then I’d leave.

“But until that happens, and I have no idea if it would, I’m just looking forward to the Copa and then starting next year with Fulham — pushing on, and trying to help the team get to even better finishing spots.”

What sort of budget do they have — and what about PSR?

Fulham should have more breathing room regarding PSR next season. A third straight year in the Premier League beckons and that will allow the club to make losses of £105million over three seasons, an increase from their limit in the previous two campaigns. Last year, they made a loss of £26m, following on from £57m in 2021-22. With hospitality areas set to open in the new Riverside Stand, it should help boost revenue.

The outlays of the past two windows are still moving through the accounts.

Fulham owed other clubs £65.3million (transfer creditors) at the end of June 2023 per their latest accounts, of which half was due to be paid this summer. Their accounts also suggest the club spent £71.7m on signings last summer — which does not include the £4m owed to Chelsea for Armando Broja’s February loan. They were owed £17.8m (transfer debtors) by others.

The 2023-24 books were also helped by the club-record sale of Mitrovic to Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in August.

Fulham will also be conscious that the PSR goalposts are going to move for the 2025-26 season. The Premier League is to mirror changes by UEFA, European football’s governing body, with clubs only allowed to spend a set percentage of their annual turnover on wages, amortised costs of transfer fees and agents’ fees.

UEFA is moving towards a limit of 70 per cent of turnover, while those in the Premier League are looking at 85 per cent.

In Fulham’s latest accounts, detailing their first season back in the Premier League, ‘football costs’ amounted to around 101 per cent of turnover.

(Top photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Peter Rutzler is a football writer covering Paris Saint-Germain and Fulham for The Athletic. Previously, he covered AFC Bournemouth. He joined The Athletic in August 2019. Follow Peter on Twitter @peterrutzler