The FFC Rumour Mill: Pepi bid rejected as Adama set for East London
Jack Stroudley looks at the early January transfer murmurings.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
Put down your pigs in blankets, finish the last of the leftovers-packed sandwiches and tuck into the January transfer window!
While this is usually a quiet time around SW6 (in fairness, the same can be said about the summer window) and despite us sitting in 10th (albeit amid what’s felt like quite an uninspiring season so far), Fulham will surely be looking to get business done this month. We have a manager with six months left on his contract, and with three crucial players away at AFCON, surely the Khans’ hand is set to be forced this month. Here are the rumours we’ve seen in the build-up to the January window.
Incomings
The big news already - and it’s not even January yet - is that Fulham have had a €30m bid for PSV striker Ricardo Pepi. The Whites were linked quite strongly to Pepi during the summer and that need for a striker seems to only have intensified. An American striker? In the January window? Brian McBridge vibes. And we know how that worked out.
It’s not an incoming as such, but The Athletic journalist David Ornstein reported last week that Fulham have offered Silva another three-year contract to keep him at the club with a pay packet that would take him into the top six earners in the Premier League.
Ornstein also claimed that Fulham do have a shortlist of replacements if Silva doesn’t sign. Ornstein is the cream of the crop when it comes to football journalism, so I’d take this as a fact. It’s good to see that Fulham are desperately trying to keep Silva but are also looking at contingency plans. However, my main concern is how much Fulham will “back” Silva in this January window if he’s not giving the club the reassurances he’s staying? One to watch.
Sticking with those currently at Fulham, loanee Samuel Chukwueze reportedly wants to stay at the club, according to Dean Jones, with Italian website Calciomercato claiming that Fulham are ready to trigger a permanent deal, which will cost in the region of £24.5m.
While this is one that we wouldn’t see happen until Chukwueze is back from AFCON at the earliest, my guess would be this is something we look to explore in the summer. Chukwueze has been exceptional and I think we should be looking to make him a permanent but you’d imagine the club will want to see how he gets on with a full season under his belt.
There are two positions you’d imagine Fulham will be looking to bolster this January, with central midfield and striker both looking a little thin. One player previously linked to the club was Hayden Hackney of Middlesbrough, with Graeme Bailey suggesting that interest hasn’t died down as Fulham sent scouts to watch Hackney play during their 4-1 win over Hull City. I think Hackney would be great, but Middlesbrough will be reluctant to sell given their current promotion push. Maybe one to look at in the summer if they don’t go up.
We’ve also been linked to out-of-sorts Kobbie Mainoo, with SportsWitness reporting both Everton and Fulham are interested. While I don’t love the source here, I would love Mainoo at Fulham. The report suggests Manchester United would wait until later in the month to let Mainoo go but this would work well for both parties. Kobbie gets to reignite his career ahead of the 2026 World Cup and Fulham get a magnificent footballer (albeit probably on loan).
Sticking with Manchester, Fulham and Crystal Palace hold an interest in Manchester City midfielder Oscar Bobb, according to TalkSport. Antoine Semenyo is seemingly joining Pep’s side, which leaves Bobb out of the picture. He’s a young footballer whose looked good and would add depth to us, I’m not sure that this one has any legs though.
Finally, Fulham also hold an interest in former Everton striker Moise Kean who wants to return to the Premier League, according to the Daily Mail.
Outgoings
According to both ExWHUEmployee and the Daily Mail, Nuno is desperate to bring in Adama Traore to West Ham, with a deal appearing imminent. While I think the time has now come for Adama to leave Fulham, I do think the club will hold their nerve a bit with this. Fulham have no squad depth as it is, and selling someone without a replacement lined up would be stupid (regardless of what you think of Adama). This one probably will happen, just not until later on in the window.
Finally, DH has claimed that Timothy Castagne could leave Fulham this summer to ensure his place in the Belgium squad for the 2026 World Cup. The source isn’t great, but this is one that you could potentially see happening. Castagne is a good footballer and will want to be playing regularly, his minutes are scuppered by Kenny Tete so he may look for a move to ensure that World Cup place.