Fulham Rumour Round-Up: Walker-Peters, Sutalo, Rieder

Mondays come around far too quickly. Stick that kettle on, Cam’s back on the keyboard with a fresh batch of transfer rumours and they’re rather tasty.

Click your fingers and boom – just like that, two summer signings in Raúl Jiménez and Calvin Bassey waltz through the door and slowly but surely, Marco Silva’s vision for the upcoming season is beginning to take shape. With a matter of weeks to go until Everton, though, we have to think fast and spend wisely if we’re to really attain game changers and this week’s supplement is full of ’em. Time’s ticking, let’s get stuck in!

Kyle Walker-Peters – Southampton

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Southampton were relegated to the Championship last term and Fulham, disclosed by The Sun, are reportedly monitoring one of the Saints’ prized assets, Kyle Walker-Peters. Valued at £20m, Walker-Peters is also being spied by RC Lens and AS Roma, however it’s thought the overseas clubs would prefer to loan in the 26-year-old right-back, rather than purchase him permanently.

Over the course of the summer window, Fulham have been associated with a potential bid for Leicester City’s Timothy Castagne, and as there’s reservations surrounding Kevin Mbabu’s ability and commitment, the probability of bringing in an assured full-back is high and Walker-Peters would definitely fit the bill. The two-time England international’s punchiness on the break would compliment Silva’s strategy and his recovery runs are just as urgent. If the Whites could bump down the asking price, this could be a very worthwhile addition so I hope we’re taking him into consideration.

Samuel Iling-Junior – Juventus

It’s Il Bianconero’s understanding that West Ham United, Everton and Fulham are tracking Juventus hotshot Samuel Iling-Junior. Iling-Junior, 19, honed his skills at Chelsea and in 2020, the winger penned a three-year deal at Juve and last season was his breakthrough campaign in Italy.

In 18 outings, the England U20 representative registered a goal and two assists and as he’s regarded as an exciting prospect, the Bianconeri have placed a €20m price tag on his head, although it’s said they would also be happy for the Islington-born winger to depart on a temporary basis if the project suits his development programme.

Fausto Vera – Corinthians

Well-known Italian publication Corriere dello Sport revealed that as well as Fiorentina and AC Milan, Fulham are supposedly in the running for Corinthians midfielder Fausto Vera. This surfaced after journalist Jorge Nicola portrayed the Whites’ curiosity in the 23-year-old and if any of the aforementioned clubs enter negotiations with the Brazilian side, the fee is likely to be within the €10m range.

The article states that a ‘proposal has emerged’ from Fulham, although talks between involved parties are formative, rather than advanced. Vera is an Argentina U23 player and while he’s billed as a defensive midfielder, he is able to operate in varying roles in the centre of the park, so you could label him an all-rounder with room to grow.

Josip Sutalo – Dinamo Zagreb

An extract from an Firenze Viola article proposes that as well as Fiorentina, Arsenal, Ajax, SSC Napoli and Red Bull Leipzig, Fulham are in the mix for Dinamo Zagreb’s Josip Sutalo. The highly experienced 23-year-old centre-back will allegedly cost between €20-25m and given his age, and his remarkable know-how at both club and international level, securing his signature could be a very fruitful investment.

Of course, Fulham have bolstered their central defensive ranks with Bassey, but further depth is undoubtedly required if Tosin departs, and though Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu’s been earmarked, Sutalo, in my opinion, is the sturdier of the two. There’s plenty of clamour for the young defender, and rightly so, so as the plot thickens regarding the Croatia international’s future, Fulham have got to show their hand if there’s any chance of landing him.

Fabian Rieder – BSC Young Boys

This rumour has ramped up drastically and a story pushed by German outlet Bild indicates that Young Boys midfielder Fabian Rieder has rebuffed offers from Premier League duo Fulham and Brentford. The 21-year-old apparently isn’t swayed by a switch to English shores and on the continent, there’s presumed intrigue from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Rieder is still undecided as to where he’ll pull strings next season and even if he remains at the Stadion Wankdorf, he’s undoubtedly one to watch out for in the years to come. The Swiss international has a sweet left foot, his energy alleviates pressure and in the opening game of the 2023/24 season in Switzerland (it commenced on the 23 July) he contributed an assist to Young Boys’ 2-1 victory over Lausanne-Sport. Impact from the off.

Habib Diallo – Strasbourg

Those at TEAMtalk have been informed that Fulham are now involved in the melee for Strasbourg’s sought-after striker Habib Diallo. The Whites will have to contend with West Ham, Brentford and Nottingham Forest for Diallo’s services but really, where we’re concerned, any potential bid for the 28-year-old balances on Aleksandar Mitrovic’s Saudi saga.

The Senegal international bagsman netted 20 Ligue 1 goals last season and at this juncture of his career, he could have his best years ahead of him yet. Jiménez recently teamed up with Silva and his men in America from Wolverhampton Wanderers, we’ve still got Carlos Vinicius, Rodrigo Muniz and Jay Stansfield on our books and as we’re yet to receive a sufficient offer from Mitrovic from the Middle East, we have no choice but to put this one on the backburner for now.