The FFC Rumour Mill: Arbeloa looks close as Manchester United target Fulham duo
Settle down for another weekly rumour round-up.
It’s been a busy few weeks for the rumour mill with the managerial merry-go-round that seems to finally be coming to a halt… maybe. Departures are beginning to depart and murmurings about incomings and outgoings are starting to bubble. Let’s take a look at how the land lies.
Incomings
The most obvious place to start is with Alvaro Arbeloa, whose move to Fulham seems a matter of when rather than if.
Talks are believed to have progressed smoothly, with Ben Jacobs suggesting the deal is almost done. Jacobs also reported that Fulham had spoke to Ange Postecoglou, (with TeamTalk reporting we even interviewed the Aussie) Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank, Frank Lampard and Ruben Amorim.
However, Tony Khan has attempted to slow the speculation, saying that there are two standout candidates for the role, saying on FFCTV:
"There are two in particular who have had multiple meetings with the board and who we really like, but we are open to more conversations and talking to more people. We are working on that process right now."
I wrote an article earlier in the week discussing my thoughts on Arebloa so will refrain from giving my thoughts once more, but I did find it interesting just how many people Fulham spoke to. Was Arbeloa the first choice? Was he even in the top five? I’ll leave that to your imagination.
In the player department, Fulham have interest in multiple positions with Sky reporting that we are keen to add another right-back; I wonder what this means for Kenny Tete and/or Timothy Castagne. The same Sky article also says that Fulham are looking at 22-year-old attacking midfielder Luka Stojkovic. Matteo Moretto is also reporting that Fulham are interested in Girona defender Arnau Martinez with the Spaniard having an €8m release clause.
At the moment, I would take all player rumours with an extra pinch of salt, with nobody likely to come in until Arbeloa is confirmed. We don’t know what areas he will look to strengthen and the type of players he wants to recruit. It could be quite an exciting time for Fulham.
Outgoings
Manchester United are keen to take two players off of Fulham’s books this summer with Antonee Robinson the first of those. Sky Sports have reported that Manchester United are looking at either Robinson or Newcastle’s Lewis Hall with £40m likely enough to take the American to Manchester. I think after a poor season, £40m could be very good business for Fulham and a valuation that could rise higher with a good World Cup.
The Athletic are reporting that Sander Berge has emerged as a potential target for Michael Carrick’s side after West Ham’s valuation of Mateus Fernandes was deemed too high. The article also claims that Fulham will be looking to make a profit on Berge after paying £25m for him two seasons ago. Similarly to Jedi, if we can make a profit on Berge I think we should look to take it. I’d be concerned if we gutted the squad too much but I wonder if we didn’t take these potential offers now, would we ever get money like that for either of them again?
Elsewhere, Jorge Cuenca to Benfica is now off. SportsWitness has now reported that Fulham’s valuation of £17m is deemed too high for Marco Silva and the 26 year old is looking more likely to stay at Fulham. That’s good as far as I’m concerned; I think £17m would be a bit low for Cuenca, and he’s a player who is always so dependable for Fulham. In a summer of transition, keep hold of Jorge.
Finally, in the academy, Olly Sanderson has left Fulham to join League One Stevenage on a permanent transfer. This was quite smart by Fulham as Sanderson was out of contract in the summer. Following a good year for Woking, the club have triggered an extension before getting some money for the 22-year-old forward.