Fulham Aiming To Make Premier League Stay Permanent

Fulham have been a yoyo club in recent years, making it back to the Premier League after yet another period in the Championship. But, under Marco Silva’s guidance, there’s a resolve to cement the club’s place in the top flight in 22/23.

A criticism levied at Fulham during their recent Premier League stints is that they’ve not recruited well, and this has led to the club not having what it takes to beat the drop. But, so far this summer, the London outfit have added five new players to their ranks, and they could all be crucial in Fulham’s quest to stay up.

The latest arrival at Craven Cottage is Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno, who arrives for a fee worth up to £8 million. The German goalkeeper joins Kevin Mbabu, Andreas Pereira and Joao Palhinha as permanent signings. Manor Soloman has also made the switch on loan, with Fulham exercising the rule that allows players who ply their trade for Ukrainian teams to be temporarily allowed to leave their current side.

You’d expect that all five new arrivals will be in and around the first team, with Pereira, Mbabu and Leno all possessing Premier League experience. And Silva and Fulham are also said to be in the market for further recruits that know the level, with long-term target Issa Diop in their crosshairs. Diop, who has expressed his desire to leave West Ham, is thought to be the subject of a £20 million bid from Fulham, but as his current employers are short of numbers at centre-half, the Frenchman may be required to stay put.

Malang Sarr, Eric Bailly and Jannik Vestergaard are all thought to be live alternatives, with all three again possessing the experience that Silva feels will enable his team to retain their Premier League status this season. But, it’s not just keeping balls out of the back of the net where Fulham have struggled in the top-flight in recent times. They’ve not scored enough goals either, even with Aleksandar Mitrovic, who’s prolific in the Championship, in their ranks.

Burnley’s Maxwell Cornet, who has been tipped with a move back to the Premier League after suffering relegation last season, has been linked with a switch to Craven Cottage. And, because the twenty-five-year-old has a fixed fee in his contract, it’s a deal that’s there to be done. Cornet impressed as Burnley struggled, registering nine goals and an assist. His arrival would be a welcome ahead of the new season getting underway.

If Fulham are to make their stay in the Premier League permanent this time around, they certainly need more new faces at the back and at the top of the pitch. But, there’s evidence of an intention to spend, as shown by the summer arrivals, and the strengthening is likely to continue.