Fulham’s best Premier League signings of all time

Fulham have never been a club that could routinely compete with the Premier League's biggest spenders. Instead, some of their greatest successes have come from identifying players who could either develop into stars or provide exceptional value for money.

From a prolific French striker who earned Fulham a huge profit to a Serbian goalscorer who became one of the most prolific forwards in the club's history, the Cottagers have made some outstanding investments over the years.

Here, FootballWhispers counts down Fulham's five best signings of the Premier League era.

5. Tom Cairney – CM

Tom Cairney may not have produced the same Premier League numbers as some of the players above him on this list, but few Fulham signings have had a greater influence on the club's modern identity.

Signed from Blackburn Rovers in 2015, Cairney arrived at a club trying to rebuild after relegation from the Premier League. He quickly became the creative heartbeat of the side, scoring eight goals in his first season and subsequently winning Fulham's Player of the Season award and earning recognition in the PFA Team of the Season.

His defining moment came in the 2018 Championship play-off final. As Fulham captain, Cairney scored the only goal against Aston Villa at Wembley, sending the club back into the Premier League.

His longevity makes the signing even more impressive, as Cairney leads the way in Fulham appearances among active players at the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

4. Brede Hangeland – CB

Brede Hangeland was one of those signings who looked increasingly valuable with every passing season after his arrival in January 2008.

His arrival coincided with Fulham's transformation from relegation candidates into an established Premier League team.

In 2007/08, Fulham were fighting for survival. The following season, they finished seventh, the highest league finish in the club's history. They then reached the Europa League final in 2010, eliminating teams like Juventus along the way.

Hangeland was a huge part of that. His size, aerial ability, positioning and consistency made him an ideal fit for Roy Hodgson's dogged team.

3. Louis Saha – ST

Louis Saha was one of Fulham's greatest bargains after the West Londoners paid just £2.1 million to bring the French forward from Metz in 2000.

Saha immediately repaid that investment, scoring 27 league goals as Fulham won the First Division title in his debut season.

He subsequently developed into one of the most dangerous forwards in the Premier League. Saha scored 63 goals in 142 appearances across all competitions for Fulham.

In the first half of the 2003/04 season alone, he scored 13 Premier League goals, attracting Manchester United's attention. Fulham eventually sold him to United in January 2004 for a profit of over £10m.

2. Clint Dempsey – SS

The American arrived from MLS in January 2007 for just over £2 million and initially needed time to adjust to English football. By the time he left five-and-a-half years later, he had become Fulham's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.

Dempsey made 225 appearances for Fulham and scored 60 goals, while also providing important contributions from midfield and attack.

His importance went beyond the numbers. In 2007, Dempsey scored the goal against Liverpool that helped secure Fulham's Premier League survival. A few years later, he became one of the leading figures in the greatest European campaign in the club's history.

The 2009/10 Europa League campaign remains particularly memorable. Dempsey scored against Juventus during Fulham's extraordinary 4-1 comeback at Craven Cottage, before the club eventually reached the final.

1. Aleksandar Mitrovic – ST

Unlike some of the cheaper bargains on this list, Mitrovic had to justify a significant investment, and he did that emphatically.

His Fulham story began with a loan spell in which he scored 12 goals in 17 starts and helped the club win promotion to the Premier League. Fulham subsequently made the move permanent.

His 2021/22 Championship campaign was particularly extraordinary. Mitrovic scored 43 goals in 44 league matches, setting the record for the most goals scored in a 46-game English league season and powering Fulham to the Championship title.

He scored 11 goals in Fulham's difficult 2018/19 campaign, four in 2020/21, and then 14 during the club's outstanding 2022/23 season, when Marco Silva's side finished 10th in the Premier League.

And even when Fulham eventually lost him, the club benefited financially. Al-Hilal signed him in 2023 for a club-record transfer fee, widely reported at around £50 million.