Fulham Rumour Round-Up: McTominay, Hojbjerg, Amrabat

There’s no time to shower, eat, think or breathe, Cam’s got the final breakdown of the transfer window to hand and you can bet your bottom dollar that by the time this gets out, another 50 players will be linked.

Niklas Füllkrug opted for Borussia Dortmund, jaws are jabbering for Kalvin Phillips but no reliable or indeed farcical mouthpiece has sounded it out, everything’s spinning way too fast for our liking and if we see one more Bavarian fan page clamour for Joao Palhinha, we’re going to scream and it won’t be pretty.

Pour that coffee, glug it with whiskey, you’re going to need it because ladies and gentlemen, it’s Deadline Day and we’re on the brink of insanity.

Sergio Reguillon – Tottenham Hotspur

With versatile right-back Timothy Castagne being signed earlier this week, the likelihood of Fulham landing another fullback is slim but as Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas recently cited us as a could-be destination for Tottenham Hotspur’s Sergio Reguillon – an out-and-out left-back – nothing is set in stone.

Manchester United have allegedly “looked at” Reguillon as a potential addition and as the Spain international’s free to depart Spurs in the final hours of the transfer window, anything could happen yet. The 26-year-old spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Atletico Madrid but a series of injury spates limited his involvement. If we’re able to utilise a domestic loan, Reguillon would be ideal because he would undoubtedly push Antonee Robinson to the limit. Naughty but nice competition, I’ll dabble.

Owen Wijndal – Ajax

We’ve another left-back on our radar and the man in question – according to The Telegraph – is Ajax’s Owen Wijndal. The 23-year-old moved from fellow Eredivise side AZ Alkmaar last summer for €10m but life in Amsterdam has not been generous to the 11-time Dutch international.

Wijndal was used sparingly during the previous season, with only 20 outings, he rarely impacted Ajax’s failed title charge and with Gastón Ávila waltzing through the door from Antwerp, the attack-minded defender’s gametime could be limited even further. It’s not yet certain whether Fulham will attempt to lure Wijndal on a permanent or temporary basis but as he and Calvin Bassey are familiar, and both left-sided, I see no glaring issues in this, even if the pair’s maiden campaigns at the Johan Cruyff Arena were less than flattering.

Rob Holding – Arsenal

As well as Luton Town and unknown sides from Ligue 1, La Liga and the Bundesliga, Fulham (via 90min) are allegedly angling for Arsenal centre-back Rob Holding. The 27-year-old is not a go-to option for Mikel Arteta so a move away from the Emirates may be the only option for the former Bolton Wanderers man, if he’s to accumulate more minutes and experience this season.

It’s thought Holding is on £40k-a-week at the Gunners, which isn’t a ludicrous amount by any means and if we’re to loan him in instead of purchasing outright, it could prove to be a very economical deal if it comes to fruition. He’d definitely see much greater involvement in SW6, and while he’s regarded as a wildly inconsistent defender, I feel he’s the right mould for us and crucially, he isn’t strictly a left-sided centre-half.

Malang Sarr – Chelsea

Respected French outlet Footmercato have revealed that Fulham and Nottingham Forest (shock horror) are supposedly tracking Chelsea’s Malang Sarr. The 24-year-old has hardly had a sniff since arriving at the Stamford Bridge from OGC Nice in 2020 and his days at the Blues are seemingly numbered singularly.

A France U21 international of yesteryear, Sarr has been shipped out to FC Porto and AS Monaco in previous campaigns and now, it appears the Blues are preparing to release him without charge before Friday’s transfer deadline. Not much else needs to be said on this other than steer clear and don’t give it a second glance. We’re all screaming “nope” internally so let’s not entertain it any further.

Divock Origi – AC Milan

Informants close to Football Insider have disclosed that Burnley, Sheffield United and Fulham are supposedly keeping close tabs on AC Milan’s out of favour striker Divock Origi. It’s thought the 28-yearold is not in Stefano Pioli’s plans for the season ahead and the Rossoneri are willing to offload him before Friday’s curtain call on the transfer period.

The former Liverpool man only mustered 2 goals in all competitions last season for the Champions League semi-finalists however he is under contract at the San Siro until the summer of 2026. The prospect of Origi heading our strike force is tempting, he knows the Premier League extremely well and will certainly offer a fresh dimension to our set-up. If he’s available for a reasonable figure, we should get it done.

Miguel Crespo – Fenerbahce SK

Turkish news publication Star have declared that Fulham are to hijack Genoa’s negotiations with Fenerbache for Miguel Crespo. The central midfielder is thought to be on the cusp of a switch to the aforementioned Serie A outfit but with Joao Palhinha’s future at Fulham hanging in the balance, Crespo has been identified as a possible replacement.

The 26-year-old will apparently not feature heavily for the Super Lig side in the season ahead and if that’s the case, he just isn’t the answer, and the question doesn’t even need to be muttered. Media fodder, that is literally all there is to this rogue leak.

Florentino Luis – SL Benfica

Portuguese transfer insider Pedro Almeida has announced that Fulham have made an approach for SL Benfica’s Florentino Luis, who previously flagged up on the Whites’ radar in 2020. The 24-year-old midfield enforcer us valued at €40m and understandably, Benfica will be reluctant to entertain any idle chat for their key component.

Florentino is a non-stop battler in the engine room, he’s drawn comparisons to William Carvalho in his pomp and it’s anticipated that he can excel at the highest level of the game. While he hasn’t earned a senior call-up to the Portuguese national fold, Florentino featured 84 times for his nation’s U21s and he still has scope to progress. As he still has plenty of time to refine and perfect his trade, he could become a profitable addition but first, As Águias’ asking price would need to be shaven down.

Youssouf Fofana – AS Monaco

In relation to a report circulated by Daily Mail, Fulham have proposedly enquired about AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana. With Palhinha seemingly bound for Bayern, or so they’ll have you believe, Fofana, 24, has been earmarked as a potential incomer and the France international wouldn’t be a terrible shout at all.

Earlier in the summer, Forest supposedly lodged a £30m offer for Fofana which came to no avail. His return isn’t prolific, it never truly is for a defensive midfielder but what he brings to the table is control and might, traits which will be beneficial in so many ways if we lose our all-action midfield punisher.

Scott McTominay – Manchester United

We’re really being spoiled for choice here. Sky Sports believe that Fulham have put out feelers regarding Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, who was tracked relentlessly by West Ham United earlier in the transfer period. The Red Devils rebuffed a £30m bid from the Hammers for the Scotland international, which is utterly ludicrous – he’s just a new-age Darren Fletcher.

The 26-year-old has made two appearances from the bench this season and actually, he would be a relatively useful signing, just not for thirty million quid. Half it, then we’ll engage. He does have a mean streak to his makeup, which is completely required, it’s just so hard to rationalise Joao’s departure and McTominay just isn’t that guy.

Yann M’Vila – Free Agent

Deadline Day Eve just kept on giving gifts and this one’s a corker. On Twitter (refuse to call it X), Santi Auona was back with another banger as he proposed that Fulham are considering an unattached 33-year-old Yann M’Vila as a ‘priority’ in the hunt for Palhinha’s void filler.

Olympique Marseille have also been tagged as an alternative destination for former France international. M’Vila was let go by Olympiacos at the beginning of July and if he can’t do it in Greece, he just isn’t going to survive in the Premier League. He’s washed, leave it alone, it’s dead, end of discussion.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – Tottenham Hotspur

An Evening Standard report implied that Fulham have opened a dialogue with Tottenham Hotspur for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, in light of yep, you guessed it, Palhinha’s anticipated switch to the Allianz Arena. The article implies that the Whites are holding out for a minimum of £60m for their 28-year-old badge tapper, and as Hojbjerg isn’t crucial to Agne Postecoglu’s stuttering revolution in north London, it’s said the Denmark international will listen to the south-west Londoners’ propositions.

La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are also in with a shout but they’re banking on Spurs lowering their demands for the self-professed Viking but joking aside, the 25-year-old would undoubtedly strengthen our midfield ranks tenfold, let’s not play silly buggers here. He’s a nasty piss boiler, I hate the actual sight of him but to have him snarling through two footers in the famous black and white? I’m moved.

Wilfred Ndidi – Leicester City

The first of two midfield anchors dropped by transfer specialist Dean Jones (via Give Me Sport), Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi is said to be on Nottingham Forest’s and Fulham’s summer shortlist and this is a possibility I could get behind, if I choose to block the majority of the Foxes fan base. The Nigeria international blew hot and cold last season but with a change of mise-en-scène, I’m convinced he’ll return to his barnstorming best.

Jones, speaking to GMS, said: “Forest have had most command over this situation as they have been lining up reinforcements but it’s been forced upon Fulham while they battle to hold on to Palhinha. The players Forest have looked at like Ndidi, Sangare and Fofana are now also on their radar so let’s see if they can make inroads on any

Ibrahim Sangare – PSV

And so we dovetail nicely to another new name to arise this summer. PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare is allegedly being traced by both Forest and the Whites – broached above – and if there’s legs to this in our favour, they better be moving at breakneck speed. Sangare’s a bulldozer, he may not have the turfing ability of Palhinha but he is next in line and really, he’s just very, very good at playing ball in general.

It could be tough to sway Sangare, though, as Dutch daily the Eindhovens Dagblad indicates that the Ivory Coast international is uncertain about whether he should depart PSV or not, especially as they’ve just qualified for the Champions League proper. The 25-year-old is the first name on the team sheet for Ruud van Nistelrooy, and as there’s next to no time to convince either of them to cooperate, we may have to shelve this for a later date after all.

Sofyan Amrabat – Fiorentina

This one came out of left field, it was so sudden and while Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat is waiting on Manchester United to respond, trusted source Alfredo Pedulla broadcast that Fulham have pledged a €30m offer in the meantime, in the hope that United will not match it.

However, it’s projected that Amrabat, 27, will reject the Whites’ approach in order to engineer a deal with the Red Devils but as nothing’s gospel, a shock hijacking could be on the agenda in the run-in. The Morocco international was in fine form for his nation during the 2022 World Cup, a stand-out performer throughout the tournament. Robust, disciplined, Amrabat is a real midfield leader and if we can somehow secure his signature, we’re cooking gourmet chow and that’s a promise you can rely on.