Fulham Midweek Moments - 7th August 2024

It's been a big week for Fulham with a couple of new faces integrating into the squad and a successful tour of Portugal wrapped up where the vibes were impeccable and so were the results. Let's dive into another Midweek Moments and recap the week that was!

Transfer News Brought to you by @FulhamTransfer

Confirmed Transfers In

A "Here We Go" that came out of the blue saw Fulham secure the signing of Jorge Cuenca from Villarreal FC for £5.7m. It remains to be seen how Silva utilises the primarily left-sided CB but, with a couple of seasons of La Liga under his belt. Either way, this looks like a shrewd and exciting signing by Fulham who are starting to make serious moves in the transfer market.

Read our article about Jorge Cuenca here

Confirmed Transfers Out

Luke Harris had a decent spell at Exeter last season but will move to League One favourites Birmingham this season in a bid to get more 1st team minutes under his belt and continue his push to break into Marco Silva's team. This should be a good move for Luke and we look forward to tracking his progress this season.

Devan Tanton showed last season that he is ready to take the next step in his career making his 1st team debut for Fulham in the cup and also making his international debut for Columbia. Despite being newly promoted, Chesterfield is one of the favourites for promotion from League Two and Devan will be hoping to be a big part of the squad for the season ahead.

Transfer Rumours

Incoming

The move for André is probably as weak as it's been for some time, with reports that Fulham are holding off on improving their bid until later in the window. The team at That's So Craven still believes this deal will get done at some point although I'm sure there are a few more twists and turns in the tale from here.

A new and exciting link that has just come in is that of Federico Chiesa, who Juventus has said will be leaving the club. In an interview with agent David Lavelle, who works closely with Juventus, it was made clear that Fulham has made enquiries for Chiesa but will need to pay the £30m fee that Juve has put on Chiesa. This story will likely unfold over the coming days but Chiesa would be another statement signing for Fulham, who look to be strengthening the squad with some serious international talent.

After Fulham secured one CB in Jorge Cuenca it's time to find a RCB to fill the other squad gap. There have been strong links this week to Diego Carlos from Villa and Joel Matip, who's currently a free agent. Both deals make total sense with Matip unattached and Villa likely to look for an upgrade on Carlos. Expect to see some further movement over the coming days as Silva will want to sure up his defence before the start of the season.

There are a handful of other names being linked - the obvious one being Scott McTominay, who Fulham continues to chase although it's been said now that Fulham will not return with an improved bid for the Scottish midfielder as Man Utd is holding out for £30m, which seems to be beyond Fulham's valuation of him. Additionally, there are still links to Wesley Gassova with Fulham apparently about to make an offer this week. On top of that, Fulham was linked this week with Johnny Cardoso, as well as having been offered Manu Kone in recent days, so we'll wait to see if there's any development regarding these new links.

Outgoing

The main news here is that Tim Ream is all but certain to be joining Charlotte FC in the next 24-48 hours. After 300+ appearances for Fulham since 2015, Luton away may be the last time we saw Tim Ream in a Fulham shirt. It will be a sad day as we reflect on everything Ream has done for the club in his time here. He is a player that will be sorely missed. The move is likely to give Ream a chance to make the USMNT for their home World Cup Campaign for which he'll need lots of game time. We wish him all the best in his next adventure! Kieron Bowie is another player likely to be moving with Hibs submitting "a significant 6-figure sum". He made a decent impression at Northampton scoring goals in League Two and League One but, turning 22 soon and seemingly way out of contention, this move makes sense.

There are still a few murmurs around Andreas Pereira moving on but we're yet to see any concrete offers coming in so I suspect if something does happen, it'll be late in the window, and not before Fulham has signed significant reinforcements to comprehensively replace his services.

Pre-Season

Benfica 0 - 1 Fulham

While pre-season matches are hardly an indicator of the form needed to sustain a successful Premier League campaign, Fulham’s 0-1 win away at Benfica in Portugal gave us signs of what to expect when the season kicks off. The Portuguese giants proved to be a tough test for Marco Silva’s boys, but a resilient second half after an impressive first period ensured that The Whites were able to lift the ‘Algarve Trophy’.

Read the full match report here

Sevilla 2 - 1 Fulham

Fulham continued their preparations for the new season with a friendly against Sevilla in the Algarve. With ten changes from their previous match against Benfica, only Issa Diop remained in the starting eleven. New signings Cuenca and Sessegnon were introduced, and Godo and Pajaziti were offered opportunities to impress. Despite a narrow 2-1 loss in the cliché "game of two halves", the match was valuable for getting players crucial minutes on the pitch ahead of the new season.

Read the full match report here

Hoffenheim Preview

After the tour of Portugal ends Fulham will play their final game of Preseason as they head to Germany to take on Hoffenheim. We preview the game as we wrap up our preparations for the 24/25 season and our trip to Man Utd

Read the preview here

Analysis

Player Ratings - Benfica

Our man Dave Wilson offers his insights on how the Fulham players performed in their first outing of the season as we walk away with some Silverware and a 1-0 victory over Benfica.

Check out the Player Ratings Here

Bristol Street Motors Trophy Dates Confirmed

The Fulham U21s have had their Bristol Street Motors Trophy dates confirmed as we take on Shrewsbury Town, Walsall and Birmingham

FFCW

Season Opener at Craven Cottage

Steve Jaye's side will begin their 2024/25 London & South West Regional campaign against Barking FC Women at Craven Cottage on Sunday 18th August, kick-off 2:30pm.

Find Out More Here

Fulham 1- 2 Actonians

In a tough pre-season friendly against Actonians, Fulham displayed a dominant performance but fell short in the end, losing 2-1. Despite controlling possession and creating numerous chances, it was the hosts who walked away with the win.

Read the Match Report Here

Fulham 0 - 2 Real Bedford

In a unique opportunity to play Royal Bedford for the second time in pre-season, Fulham FC Women welcomed their opponents to Motspur Park. Despite a spirited performance, the final scoreline did not reflect the effort and advances made by the team. Read the Match Report Here

Lilly Lambird leaves Fulham after 6 years

After over 100 appearances across 6 years at Fulham, Lilly Lambird will be moving to the US to join the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. We wish Lilly all the best on her exciting new adventure and hope to see her back at the club in the future

Fulham Away Kit Launched

Modeled by Men’s team players Tom Cairney, Harrison Reed, and Raúl Jiménez, and Fulham FC Women players Sophie Manzi and Megalie Mendes, the shirt features Adidas’s AEROREADY technology – designed to keep the body feeling dry and comfortable – and is complemented with red shorts and red socks. Our Away Shirt once again comes in a dedicated Women's fit. The club partners SBOTOP and WebBeds feature on the front and sleeve respectively on all adult jerseys, while Royal Caribbean branding sits across the front of all junior shirts and mini kits.

You can secure your strip today - the 2024/25 Away Kit is available to purchase now instore at Craven Cottage or online at shop.fulhamfc.com. Learn More Here

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