Archive for the ‘Transfer’ Category

Schalke confirm interest in Sascha Riether – still a longshot

Posted: June 18, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Player/Manager, Transfer
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Sascha Riether could be heading back to Germany.

Schalke manager Horst Heldt has confirmed the club’s interest in Fulham right-back sensation Sascha Riether, but warned “if the demand is too high, it will not materialize.”

The Bundesliga club wants the former Koln defender as cover for current right-back Atsuto Uchida.

Just because he’s on their wish-list doesn’t mean this is going to happen, and it seems Schalke have a very strict evaluation of the 30-year-old, but it’s a possibility.

He has just signed a new 2-year deal with Fulham, turning his season-long loan deal permanent with a €1.4 million transfer fee to Koln.

That makes this even more unlikely, but word is the two teams are already in discussions.  How serious those discussions are remains to be seen.

I believe this move is relatively a longshot, because of how cautious Schalke are per Heldt’s quote, and I would assume Fulham would wish to make a decent profit on the defender before the rid themselves of last year’s Player’s player of the year.

Therefore, I would imagine the two clubs would have very different valuations of Riether, and I can’t imagine the two come to an agreement.

However, if they do, it will be incredibly hard to replace Riether, and Fulham will have a tough time finding someone who can fill his shoes.  Let’s hope this doesn’t come off, because I can’t imagine the club will profit that greatly from his sale.

This isn’t the first time Schalke have tried to pull off a deal for a player who just signed a contract with their club.  In 2011 they purchased Austrian left-back Christian Fuchs just after he had signed a permanent deal with FSV Mainz following a season-long loan there.

Perfect Timing for Maarten Stekelenburg to Join Fulham

Posted: June 3, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Opinion, Transfer
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Maarten Stekelenburg is expected to be unveiled by Fulham in the next few days (image © Getty Images)

Earlier today, Roma sporting director Franco Baldini confirmed, “I went to London to sell Stekelenburg to Fulham. There were many issues to be resolved. I reached an agreement subject to a number of conditions, like the player’s personal demands and the medical.”

While the deal isn’t DONE, it’s pretty darn close.  Roma still need to tie up a replacement, which if you remember is the same issue they had in January that ultimately killed the deal at the transfer window closure (while Stek was in flight to London).  They’re looking at young Santos goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, but nothing’s finalized on that front either.

Either way, it looks like this is about a 95% chance to complete, at a price range that speculation has anywhere between £3-£5 million, a bargain either way.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time for Fulham.

There have been mixed reactions by fans on Twitter and on story comments, but it’s a wonderful move by Martin Jol with the present and future in mind.

Stekelenburg is 30 years of age, which by goalkeeper standards is right around the peak.  He struggled at Roma, but more due to the manager’s personal preference (a la Casillas and Mourinho) than the keeper himself performing poorly.  This means he’s still at the top of his game while also being cheap.

If you remember, Fulham captured Mark Schwarzer himself at the ripe age of 35 and he gave the club five fantastic seasons that showed no signs of his age until the final one.

Speaking of Schwarzer, despite looking slowed by age in the first half of the season, he appeared reinvigorated in the second half and proved to the world he still has some left in the tank.  However, would you rather see the Australian, who’s given nothing but his all to the club in the last five years, finish his Fulham career on a high note? Or would you rather Jol ride him out until he falls apart on the pitch? I think the former is much more preferable.  Why make him prove to everyone he’s done before making a move for another goalkeeper?

Then there’s the curious case of David Stockdale.  Stocko is 27, young in goalkeeper terms but at the age where he should indeed be seeking first team action. He impressed many at Hull in his loan spell and may choose the newly promoted side over the bench at Fulham, and rightly so.

Many fans have pointed to giving Stockdale the first team role as a cheaper and effective option.  While this is true, Stockdale is still young and makes mistakes, as we saw in his limited time this season.  It would be unfortunate to lose a promising young English player, but people must realize at this club you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

I certainly can’t blame Jol for splashing a little cash towards a keeper who has been the number one option at the world’s number 9-ranked team in the Netherlands?

Stekelenburg is a top option at Fulham for a bargain price at a time that allows our current beloved keeper to leave Craven Cottage on a high rather than peter out at an even older age.  What more could we as fans ask for? It’s a perfect chance.

Quotent Quotables: Karagounis pours his heart out to fans, Frimpong not so much

Posted: May 23, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Player/Manager, Transfer
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Remember this? Karagounis became a fan favorite right off the bat.

Often times, when players are figuring out whether their time with a club will come to an end or not, their quotes to the media following the season’s end are good look into their minds to see where they stand with the club.

We’ve recently found out how two possibly-ex-Fulham players stand.

Giorgos Karagounis took the time and effort to gush about the support he’s received from the Fulham fans.  The Greek international left it all out on the pitch at Craven Cottage, and the fans recognized it right away and fell in love.  He’s noticed.

“I’ve really taken to the Fulham fans, and from the moment that I arrived they gave me a lot of respect and support,” he told the official website. “For a player to have that when he joins a new club is very special. I’m a player that gives my all to a team and to a game, I think the fans see that and appreciate it. They like their players to give their all to the cause. I gave my all to every single game.”

Then the best part: “There’s nothing better for a new player to feel accepted and I had that with both the fans and my teammates from the very start. It’s something that made me feel very proud. I gave 100 per cent every time I put on a Fulham shirt, and that is my way of saying thank you to the fans.”

How bout that from the 36-year-old? If he comes back he wouldn’t be much more than a squad player, but I’d love to see it happen. The guy’s got guts and heart, two heavily undervalued attributes in the game today.

On the other side of the coin, Emmanuel Frimpong had surgery on his knee recently, and acknowledged Fulham in about the bare minimum way he possibly could have.  I realize the medium has a character limit, but Frimpong took to Twitter to discuss his knee surgery and return to Arsenal at the end of the loan.  He spent a few tweets on the subject, and the final one hinted he’s happy the extended trip across London is over:

Not nearly as warm and fuzzy as Giorgos, now is it?

We’ll have to see where both these midfielders end up next season.  I have a feeling though that one will be back and one will not.  I’ll let you decide which.

Starting Early for a Change: Amorebieta and Boateng sign for Fulham

Posted: May 23, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Transfer
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With the horrors of last summer’s transfer window still fresh in many fans’ minds, it’s nice to see additions taking place early on.  Not just because of how last summer’s window ended with the departure of two of the club’s best players days before the end.

But also because of how it began…with nothing.  And also with how it continued halfway through…with more nothing. Last summer’s transfer window was painful because it was so empty.  Martin Jol and the board waited ages to make any kind of moves and address obvious needs.

This summer, the signs are obvious – things are going to be different. Very different.

With the official transfer window not even begun yet, Fulham have signed one player for a fee (Sascha Riether’s loan was made permanent for £1-2 million) and now two shrewd free transfers have been confirmed.

The club confirmed that Derek Boateng will join Fulham immediately, having been released after a contract dispute with his club Dnipro, and Fernando Amorebieta will join the club on a bosman at the end of the Spanish season from Athletic Bilbao.

Derek Boateng is a household name with many Fulham fans by now, with the completion of the transfer on the fourth attempt by the club to get him.  The 30-year-old signed a 2-year deal with Fulham and is a strong presence in the midfield, reminiscent of Dickson Etuhu in years past.

Amorebieta has been rumored to be joining Fulham for the better part of 2 months now, and all you need to know about the experienced central defender is how quickly Martin Jol acted as soon as word got out he wouldn’t be resigning with Bilbao. Jol isn’t someone with a ton of contacts in the Spanish league, but he made it happen with the likes of Arsenal also rumored to be in the mix.

Amorebieta still just recently turned 28, young for a man of his experience.  He’s got 195 Primera Division games under his belt since 2005, plus another 56 in domestic and abroad cup competitions.

There are still holes, with needs at striker, more midfield, and maybe even a goalkeeper, it’s nice to see the gears moving so early.  There are reports out of Italy that Fulham have signed Maarten Stekelenburg to replace Mark Schwarzer between the sticks, so clearly they’re not done yet.

Reports: Fulham Sign Venezuelan Defender

Posted: April 16, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Transfer
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If he can cover Messi, he can cover anyone!

No confirmation by the club just yet, but it’s being widely reported, as well as confirmed by a number of sources, that Fulham have inked the signature of Venezuelan center half Fernando Amorebieta on a free from Athletic Bilbao.  At 28 years of age, he’s not exactly the youth the club requires at that position, but at this point, anyone under 30 will do, and given his track record and experience, it looks Martin Jol has once again proved savvy on the free transfer market.

Amorebiata’s deal is for 4 years, so expect to see his name around the club for a while.

The defender is of Venezuelan birth, and has made 8 appearances for their national team, first capped in 2011.  He is also of Spanish decent, and had the opportunity to play for Spain, but when he found out he wouldn’t make the most recent World Cup Spanish side, he chose to play for his home nation.  There was a bit of red tape he had to cross since he’d played for Spanish youth squads (including the U19 side that won Euro 2004), but he was able to make the switch thanks to some rule changes in 2009.  He’s scored 1 goal for his national side, the winner in a 1-0 victory coming a year and a half ago in World Cup qualifying against Argentina.

Amorebiata has been a staple at his parents’ hometown club Athletic Bilbao for a number of years, playing in a year for their youth side before appearing in 195 league matches for the La Liga side, logging a total of just under 16,000 minutes on the pitch.  He’s also a staple in the referee’s book.  A physical presence at just over 6’2″ (192 cm), Amorebiata isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge.  In league play alone, he’s been booked 75 times, and has been sent off 11 times over an 8-year span (7 double-yellows and 4 straight reds).  Oddly enough, he tones it down outside of league play, picking up just 8 total Copa Del Ray bookings and no sending offs, and 7 Europa League yellow cards with  double yellow.  He was sent off once in 8 appearances for the national side.

That physicality is much-needed for Fulham, with Brede Hangeland returning but aging, and the position generally thin.  I would tip Amorebiata to beat out Philippe Senderos for a spot once given a chance. Senderos has really stepped up his game in recent weeks, but still has the potential to be shaky at times, and doesn’t have the physicality nor the ball-playing skills the La Liga veteran will bring.

Athletic Bilbao offered the Venezuelan a 4-year extension but he turned it down.  Reports also say he was linked with Arsenal and already turned down Zenit and Everton as well, so this is a coup for Fulham.  The Mirror reports he was specifically targeting a move to the Premier League.  Transfermarkt values Amorebiata at £7 million, so a free transfer is shrewd business by Martin Jol.

Fulham Deadline Day Recap: Loans, Hotel Internet, and Fiorentina’s Revenge

Posted: January 31, 2013 by Kyle Bonn in Transfer
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Well, it would seem that, barring anything crazy last minute (which is certainly possible given the craziness already having taken place), Fulham are done with their deals for the January transfer window.  It’s been a crazy day, so I thought I’d put everything down here in one place for your viewing pleasure.

Completed deals IN:

-Urby Emanuelson: Season-long loan, probably no option to buy
The 26-year-old Dutch international was an expected deal, as he’d fallen out of the Starting XI at AC Milan and was looking for first-team action until the possible sale of Robinho in the summer, which would give him a bit more of a shot at the first team.  Emanuelson is capable at left back, but even better at left wing or attacking midfield.  He’s a very versatile player.  Read more about him here.

-Stanislav Manolev: season-long loan with option to buy on 2-year deal
Manolev joins Fulham on a very low-risk deal from PSV Eindhoven.  The right-back provides cover for Sascha Riether, something Martin Jol specifically mentioned was on his wish list yesterday after the West Ham match.  Manolev didn’t get very good reviews from what I saw on Twitter, but that’s not a massive issue, because he’s only a squad player at this point and only really has to be better than Stephen Kelly to be successful.

-Eyong Enoh: season-long loan with option to buy on 2-year deal
It hasn’t been confirmed by the club yet, but reports are abound that it’s a done deal.  The defensive midfielder comes from Ajax, where he’s made 88 league appearances (149 overall).  He’s from Cameroon, and came to Ajax from their feeder club in Cape Town.  He’s hardly played for Ajax this season, just making 3 league appearances (2 as a sub), and 4 in the Champions League (3 as a sub).
UPDATE: Confirmed by Ajax, nothing from Fulham yet
ANOTHER UPDATE: Fulham now confirms.

Completed deals OUT:

None.

Failed deals IN:

Maarten Stekelenburg – In one of the craziest stories from Deadline Day, Stekelenburg had long been linked with Fulham ever since he’d been dropped to second-string at Roma.  Reports were abound saying he’d completed his move to Fulham, and had gotten on a flight to London earlier today.  However, apparently Roma was banking on replacing Stek with Emiliano Viviano from Fiorentina. Let’s pause for a moment – what’s the connection with Fiorentina and Fulham? That’s correct, Dimitar Berbatov was set to go to Fiorentina, before he decided not to board a plane and instead went to Fulham! Remember how angry they were? Fast forward to today. Stek’s about to head to London to complete the deal, when low and behold, Fiorentina back out of the Viviano deal less than a half hour before the Italian window closed, leaving Roma high and dry on a backup and forcing them to cancel their deal with Fulham for Stekelenburg.  Unfortunately for the big Dutchman, he’d already taken off, despite his current side’s attempts to catch him before he left, so he flew to London for nothing. Revenge by Fiorentina? Possibly.  But also what it seems a bit of poor planning and also poor form by Roma to cancel the deal once it’d pretty much been agreed to. Fulham can’t catch a break with Italian football (more on that later).

Tom Huddlestone – Both Martin Jol and Andre Villas-Boas confirmed yesterday that Fulham were in the mix for Huddlestone, but Jol said he’d been trying for 5 weeks now and nothing had happened, so he wasn’t optimistic.  It seemed the deal had a chance to be completed today, but Huddlestone ultimately wasn’t up for the move to SW6, and then Fulham reportedly went all-in for a foreign striker, and the Huddlestone deal had to be sacrificed to provide the money.  That striker was rumored to be…

Bafetimbi Gomis – A name who briefly popped up on Deadline Day in the summer as well, reports flew around today as well that Gomis was on Fulham’s wish list, and they threw everything they had at him, sacrificing the chance at Tom Huddlestone. I find it interesting how everything is connected. The rumors just kind of died out, didn’t hear much about it after the initial reports.

Nikola Maksimovic – There have been reports that the young Yugoslavian central defender had been signing with Fulham, but a last-minute attempt at a work permit failed, scuttling the deal.  Unfortunate, as Maksimovic has featured well at Red Star Belgrade and, at only 21, could have had a good future at Fulham as a long-term replacement for an aging bunch had he played well.  We need CB depth badly.

Failed transfers OUT:

Chris Baird – West Bromwich Albion had been talking to Baird most of the day, but nothing materialized for whatever reason.  Good, because we need all the midfielders we can get.  Don’t want the Bairdinho headed elsewhere! I also think West Brom may have had their attention elsewhere……(*cough*Odemwingie*cough*).

Pajtim Kasami – Another ridiculous story out of the Deadline Day mayhem, apparently Kasami was on his way to make a permanent transfer to Pescara in Italy, but the paperwork failed to arrive in time because of faulty hotel internet and the window closed in Italy.  For whatever reason Italian soccer teams can’t get better than hotel internet.  Unfortunate for Kasami, who’s unhappy with his lack of playing time under Martin Jol.  This was no more obvious (and a little depressing) when he tweeted just a bit ago:

It’s depressing because Kasami seems like a hard-working kid who just wants to get a chance.  He’s shown a good deal of promise in his little time at Fulham, but I can understand him being frustrated at Jol not giving him a chance.  We’ll see if he gets loaned somewhere.

Recap:

Fulham got a very highly-rated versatile lefthand player in Emanuelson, a backup right back, and a relatively unproven defensive midfielder.  The positive? They’re all well under 30.  The negative? There’s still holes at goalkeeper and striker, and the midfield’s still a bit thin. Don’t forget though that we did also get Frimpong a few days ago.  The squad is still thin, but 4 signings in January helps a whole lot.  Also don’t forget Chris David, who signed in the beginning and will probably be an important piece in the future.

Also, stay tuned to my Twitter account for more information as the window closes.  Most journalists saying Enoh is the last of Fulham’s signings, but you never know! Especially with Stekelenburg stuck in London for the night…

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