Fulham’s survival in the Premier League last season was far more serene than any fan would have expected, and there was even an unlikely European charge at one point. But having shed the yo-yo tag for now, Fulham will want to re-establish themselves as a stalwart in the top flight.
The big questions mostly revolve around which players the Whites can keep: João Palhinha, Antonee Robinson and Tosin Adarabioyo are all reportedly in high demand, as is manager Marco Silva. But in order to push on and secure a long-term Premier League future, Fulham will have to add to their squad.
So who could join Silva’s squad on the banks of the River Thames? We take a look at some of the players set to be Fulham transfer targets this summer.
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Alex Iwobi
The list of Fulham transfer targets has recently been given an exciting update. News has come through within the last 24-48 hours that Fulham are now targeting Alex Iwobi, who currently plays for Everton. Of course, such a deal has now become possible since Fulham has netted some considerable cash following the sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic for a grand sum of £46 million. This has opened up the doors for Fulham to make offers for several high-profile players before the transfer period is over. Yet it looks as though Fulham have landed on Alex Iwobi to fill the gaps in midfield. Iwobi has even been referred to as ‘special’ by Fulham, which further confirms the club’s interest in signing the Nigerian international.
With this said, Alex Iwobi has already picked up an injury in the 23/24 season, as he went off when Everton played Aston Villa recently. He was also missing from Everton’s third game of the season, so there is a bit of apprehension from fans about signing Iwobi given the variables surrounding his injury. As for the main hurdle to leap over in order to sign Iwobi, the fee would need to be in the region of £20 – £25 million, if not slightly higher for Everton to agree to the deal.
Then again, Fulham has these funds available thanks to the sale of Mitrovic.
Demarai Gray
Jack Harrison hijacked Demarai Gray’s number 11 shirt at Everton, which only indicates Gray has received the boot. It’s a tense situation in which Fulham could really benefit if they play their cards right.
Demarai Gray is a 27-year-old attacking midfielder who previously played for Birmingham City, Bayer Leverkusen, Leicester City, and lastly – Everton. With the Toffees, Demarai made 67 Premier League appearances, scoring on nine occasions and supplying teammates with four assists.
Signing Demarai Gray would most likely cost Cottagers £20-30m, as that’s what his price tag is at the moment. However, the negotiations should go smoothly, as the player isn’t featured in coach Sean Dyche’s plans for the 2023/24 Premier League season. Demaray Grai would be a perfect addition to the Cottagers’ starting XI where he’ll partner up with Brazilian legend Willian and Adama Traore.
Demarai Gray would need no time to start performing on a top-notch level, as he already has two full Premier League seasons under his belt.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Despite being only 22 years old, Callum has no future at Stamford Bridge. With so many players arriving at Stamford Bridge, Callum knows he’s not going to get any minutes. Chelsea’s manager Pochettino will most likely rely on Raheem Sterling and Ukraine’s Mudryk on the left of the attack.
That’s why Callum Hudson-Odoi is looking to get his career back on track with a move to another Premier League club.
Fulham is the one that is showing the most interest at the moment, with Cottagers £4.5 for Chelsea’s winger. It may not sound like a very tempting offer, but Callum Hudson-Odoi has only one year left on his contract, so American businessman Todd Boehly will have no other option but to accept the bid or risk losing money.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is desperate for a career reboot, as he didn’t quite make the impact he was searching for in Germany. During his season-long spell at BayArena, he couldn’t score in 14 Bundesliga games. His only goal for the German giants was in the Champions League tournament. Surely, an offer from Cottagers would be gladly accepted by the 22-year-old winger.
However, the Blues from London demand £8m for their player. Fulham will have to almost double their initial offer if they want to have the player on their side during the 2023/24 season.
Andre
Brazilian prodigy Andre is a player that is getting a lot of attention recently. It’s about time the 22-year-old makes the next step in his professional career by experiencing European football. And it seems that Fulham are ready to give him the stage.
Andre operates in the heart of the midfielder and is the sort of player that can do it all – defend, create, and score. Having such a versatile player on your team is a must if you play in the World’s most competitive league.
Coach Marco Silva would be more than eager to have Andre on his team, as there aren’t many top players that he can choose from when it comes to the central midfield position.
Since 2020, Andre made a total of 110 official appearances for Brazilian giants Fluminense, during which he scored three goals. He was even featured in one of Brazil’s national teams’ games this year. That’s why Fluminense’s defensive midfielder has a price tag of a whopping €15m, which shouldn’t be much of an issue. Reports have it that Fluminense already received an improved offer of £26m for their player. It only comes down to whether or not Andre is ready to make this inevitable step.
Fausto Vera
Cottagers are really keen on signing a South American player this year, as Fausto Vera is reportedly another player whom Fulham are interested in having. Born in Hurlingham, Argentina, Vera is a defensive midfielder that could come a bit cheaper than Andre.
Fausto Vera is a 23-year-old midfielder who has a price tag of €7m. That’s a number that shouldn’t trouble Fulham should they decide he’s a good alternative to Andre. Fausto recently suffered a minor injury that could change coach Silva’s thinking, but reports have it that Fulham and Corinthians already began negotiations for the player.
According to rumors, Corinthians want at least €10m for their player, which for the time being isn’t a sum the Premier League side is ready to pay.
Lucas Ocampos
Lucas Ocampos might be a Sevilla player for the moment, but all of that could change over the coming days – that’s if Fulham has anything to do with it. There are now strong rumors that Fulham is preparing to make an offer to Sevilla to secure his services for the 23/24 season, and rumors indicate that an offer could be made imminently. In fact, more prominently than the news relating to Fulham’s interests in Ocampos, it seems as though Fulham and Sevilla have already agreed a fee for the move, which has yet to be made public. Therefore, the remaining hurdle that must be overcome relates to personal terms between Fulham and Ocampos.
Then again, if the personal terms are even remotely satisfactory, there is a strong chance that this deal will be made before the deadline day. I say that because Ocampos has just one year left on his contract at Sevilla. So if Sevilla didn’t sell Ocampos in this window or the next, unless they are planning on offering him a new contract, which is unknown, they risk Ocampos departing as a free agent.
Naturally, they will want to avoid this if possible.
Steven Benda
If recent rumors are true, which I believe they are, it looks as though Steven Benda could be added to the list of goalkeepers at Fulham within the next few days. Benda is just 24 years of age, and given his standing at Swansea City at the moment, he would no doubt jump at a chance to join a Premier League team. Additionally, Swansea would be keen on letting Benda go since he is still injured. In fact, he isn’t expected to be fit to play until January 2024, and his contract runs out shortly after that. So in my opinion, there is a very good chance that Benda moves from the radar as one of the Fulham transfer targets and becomes a confirmed signing.
