Fulham

David Lockwood
BBC Sport Editorial Sustainability Lead

Image source, Getty Images

Los Angeles or Chesterfield? San Diego or Salford?

The pre-season destinations of 20 Premier League clubs may be varied, but the issue remains the same - the impact of so many flights.

Half (10) of the clubs have flown to the United States for friendlies; three have travelled to the Far East and the rest are in Europe and the UK.

Manchester United's pre-season schedule see them flying almost 13,000 miles playing fixtures in Norway, Scotland, and across the US. Chelsea and Tottenham are also expected to fly in excess of 12,000 miles.

In contrast, Everton will fly the least, with just one fixture outside the UK in the Republic of Ireland.

Spurs and Newcastle also played an exhibition fixture in May - three days after the season finished - for which they both flew to Melbourne, Australia, a game Alan Shearer described as “madness”. Add in those air miles and both teams will have travelled in excess of 30,000 air miles in the close-season, equivalent to more than once around the globe, to play in non-competitive matches.

Newcastle and Spurs both have a target to be Net Zero by 2030, while Manchester United and Chelsea are in process of establishing an emissions reduction plan.

Net Zero requires the reduction and removal of all 'non-essential emissions' - so are these games essential?

Wycombe's David Wheeler is a leading sustainability campaigner in football and told BBC Sport: "These games are only necessary in the sense that the clubs want to make more money and grow their fan base".

He added: "The vast majority of players don't want to be away from their families, they don't want to be travelling around the world after a full slog of a season. They're overworked and injuries have gone through the roof, so there is a synergy between player welfare and planetary welfare."

An estimated travelling group of 30 flying 12,864 air miles business class generates around 200 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of 500,000 miles driven by an average petrol car, or the entire annual emissions for a year of 16 people in the UK.

Tottenham said it is "committed to minimising its environmental impact" in all its operations, "which will take time and effort". The club says it "ensures" all teams travel "as sustainably as possible throughout the season". It "measures, manages and reports on travel emissions" and will offsets "where possible."

Read more about the Premier League's pre-season air miles here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ryan Sessegnon is set to rejoin his former club Fulham as a free agent, in a return that is subject to the 24-year-old completing a medical.

The Fulham academy graduate left the west Londoners in 2019, but his spell at Tottenham was marred by reoccurring hamstring problems.

Sessegnon has since had surgery to overcome his fitness issues, which had limited him to just 57 appearances at Spurs.

The former England Under-21 international also had a trial at Crystal Palace but he could now become the first signing of the summer transfer window at Craven Cottage.

Sessegnon will sign a two-year deal with an option for a further season.

Fulham also remain in talks to sign Arsenal winger Emile Smith Rowe after having an initial offer rejected.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Los Angeles

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed "things are happening in the background" around playmaker Emile Smith Rowe.

Smith Rowe was the only senior squad player not to feature in Arsenal's pre-season game against Bournemouth, which the Gunners won 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.

Fulham are keen on 23-year-old Smith Rowe, who remained on the bench throughout.

"Things are happening in the background and we decided the best thing to do was leave him out," said Arteta.

Fulham will make an improved offer for Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe. The Whites and Crystal Palace have both had transfer bids for the 23-year-old midfielder turned down by the Gunners this month. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Fulham were 4-0 winners earlier on Wednesday against Championship side QPR.

Harry Wilson scored twice after Raul Jimenez had given the Whites the lead from the penalty spot.

Adama Traore added the fourth in the second half, in a game where Fulham had 22 players gain some pre-season minutes.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

It isn't quiet in one specific part of the major football clubs - the acquisitions department.

I know that because I was once the acquisitions department - well me and the manager mostly. While each player returned from holidays like a bronzed Adonis, we were cooped up in a small darkened room, beavering the daylight hours away like vampires.

There is plenty of guesswork in the media and a fair bit of leaking from the players and their people, but the clubs usually try to keep their transfer moves as quiet as possible.

If word gets out that a player is available, they know they might lose him to another club or else the price will increase as a bidding war erupts.

‌These are high stakes games and many are impressed by those who gamble and go early.

Manchester City have always been good enough, and let's be honest wealthy enough, to be able to do this well.

The problem is that some clubs are trying to do the same thing and are ending up paying top dollar for less able players, because they haven't done their due diligence in the market.

This is another area where the use of data, or maybe over-reliance on pure data, comes into play - feed all of the numbers in, let the technology do the crunching, and out comes the answer.

The problem is that everyone else has got the same or similar data.

What is needed, of course, is good human knowledge and the vision to aid the use of the information they have got. This is why these departments should be busy just now, they shouldn't just be doing deals which are admittedly very complex legal and financial documents these days.

Even more time should be spent on ensuring the new £75m player hasn't got a hidden weakness in his game or even the odd skeleton in his closet.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra Newsletter

Manchester United do not want to allow 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay to leave Old Trafford, amid interest from Fulham and Tottenham. (Standard), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

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It seems inevitable a host of Premier League managers will point to fixture congestion in the months to come.

When injuries mount, or when time on the training ground is squeezed, coaches often reference the intense nature of the calendar.

But research conducted by the respected CIES Football Observatory has delivered data which shows clubs are - on average - not playing more competitive games than they have in the last couple of decades.

The CIES looked at 677 clubs across 40 leagues. In looking at a period from 2012 to 2024, its findings show in 2023-24, the average club played 42.4 competitive matches. In 2014-15 that figure was 42.6 and in 2020-21 it hit 43.9.

And if focus is placed on sides competing in the Champions League, data gathered between 2000 and 2024 also shows sides are not setting fixture records in the current game, as some managers may like to loosely imply.

In looking at the five major European Leagues, the CIES claim Champions League competitors played an average of 50.8 matches last season.

In 2020-21 they averaged 57.9 and in 2002-03 they contested 55.2.

Manchester United played in 52 competitive games last season, down from highs of 71 in 2020-21 and 66 in 2008-09.

Across all of the clubs analysed, only 4% played more than 60 games last season. In 2012-13, the figure stood at 5.1%.

While clubs may play added friendlies and - it would be fair to say - individual matches tend to be longer given increased injury time in the current game, the data shows that competitive fixture numbers are flat or have in most cases fallen, even if disgruntled managers say otherwise.

The full study is here, external

Tottenham are aiming to beat Fulham to the signature of Manchester United's 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay. (Sun, external)

Fulham want to bring in Brazil midfielder Andre, 23, from Fluminense as they look to replace 29-year-old Portugal international Joao Palhinha following his move to Bayern Munich. (Standard, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Manchester United have turned down a bid from Fulham for 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, who has one year left on his contract but with an option for a 12-month extension. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Arsenal are expecting further bids for 23-year-old midfielder Emile Smith Rowe after rejecting an offer from Fulham, with Crystal Palace also interested. (Evening Standard), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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The football never stops.

Euro 2024 has barely finished but Premier League clubs have already started turning their attention to pre-season friendlies.

The games are spread across the globe, from Tokyo and New York to Sligo and Crawley.

So who will your team face? And when and where are the matches?

Keep across all the fixtures and results here

Arsenal have rejected an offer for 23-year-old England midfielder Emile Smith Rowe from Fulham, who are are weighing up whether to make an improved bid. (Standard), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham are interested in signing Fluminense midfielder Andre to replace Joao Palhinha.

The 22-year-old is a long-term target for the west Londoners, who saw Palhinha, 29, join Bayern Munich for £42.3m on Thursday.

Andre is regarded among the best talents in Brazil after winning the Copa Libertadores, South America's equivalent to the Champions League, last season.

The move is believed to have manager Marco Silva's blessing after he refused the chance to join Al-Ittihad last month.

Reports in Turkey about signing 18-year-old Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy have been denied.

Fulham have already begun pre-season training and will play Benfica and Hoffenheim in warm-up matches, before facing Manchester United at Old Trafford in August to kick off the new Premier League season.

We asked for your thoughts on Fulham's summer transfer window so far, with key names in Joao Palhinha, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Tosin Adarabioyo having already left Craven Cottage.

Here is a flavour of your responses:

Ian: We had accepted that Joao was going to go and so it's a case of thank you and goodbye. However, I'm sorry - almost angry - that we've let Bobby go. He is such a versatile player that he will be greatly missed. If a 'big' club had come looking good luck to him, but Leicester? We should have done more to keep him.

Terry: It's always going to be difficult for a club like Fulham to replace a world-class player like Joao. Losing him means not only needing a new CDM, but an urgent need to strengthen defence, because he stopped so many getting through. Wingers now a concern too, as BDR has left and Willian seems likely to collect a well-deserved payday in Saudi.

Jules: Fulham doing what they do best, selling their best players and not replacing them until desperate with last-minute deals with below-standard players. Been like this for years and we wonder why we never challenge - just limp along and try to stay up. Not good enough to not have any ambition other than fight to stay in the Premier League.

David: Both players need to be replaced with comparable ones. Palhinha especially has been immense and Reid is a useful utility man. We also need a reliable striker.

James: Fulham have lost three key players and it is uncertain if Willian will sign for another season. We need to sign a minimum of four players - ideally two midfielders, with at least one who can play on the left, a defensive midfielder and a centre-back. There are some good, young prospects who I think we should go for - but we also need experience.

Stew: Shockingly quiet on transfers in. Three experienced players gone. We need new blood in soon and quality comes at a price. So, Mr Khan - back the manager!

Simon: Everyone that counts themselves to be a Fulham fan has been expecting the imminent departure of our key midfielder, a player who meant we were able to stabilise our position in the PL despite losing Mitro! Added to this there have been a number of other significant departures. Please tell us there are contingency plans already in place!

Fulham have lost key names in Palhinha and Bobby De Cordova-Reid this summer. Are you concerned with the squad at this stage? What needs to be added? Tell us here, external

Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha, 29, will complete his move from Fulham to Bayern Munich in the next 24 hours. (Sky Germany), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

On the latest episode of the When You're Smiling Podcast by BBC Radio Leicester, The Athletic's Fulham reporter Peter Rutzler spoke about Bobby De Cordova-Reid's departure from Craven Cottage to join newly promoted Leicester:

"Fulham would have liked to have kept him, really. Bobby De Cordova-Reid was part of Marco Silva's leadership of about five players, the 'group captains'. He's really well liked by supporters as well.

"I think if they could have kept him the would have done. I think they offered him a two-year deal, Leicester offered him a three-year deal and the terms were evidently better with Leicester.

"Fulham also had one of the oldest squads in the Premier League last season. There is a sense of them needing to make changes this summer. They've also got Jay Stansfield coming back from Exeter and they'll be looking to get him minutes this year.

"There's a few changes happening that might have led to why they didn't offer what he would have liked, but he'll certainly be missed. He's been an influential player over the last five years."

Listen to the full episode here

Joao Palhinha has completed his medical with Bayern Munich, but the midfielder needs to clarify some details with Fulham before completing his 46m euros (£39m) move. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Fulham have enquired about the availability of Manchester United's Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, 27. (HITC), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column