Premier League Prediction – 17th

After ruling the Championship, Fulham will be hoping that they can survive in the Premier League under the guidance of Marco Silva. The West London side have been somewhat of a yo-yo side in recent years, and will be targeting some much needed stability. 

It would be foolish to think that the free-flowing football that Fulham employed in the Championship would be able to standup in the Premier League, so it will be interesting to see how Marco Silva will be able to adapt his side. The coach is no stranger to the Premier League having enjoyed stints at Hull, Watford and Everton and will be fully aware of the rigours needed to beat the drop. 

To date, Fulham have been quiet in the transfer window but the squad is in need of a few players to add depth to their squad. German keeper Bernd Leno has been secured from Arsenal in a cut-price deal which could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer. Number one target João Palhinha was secured in a £18 million deal from Sporting, and Marco Silva will be hoping the midfielder can make an immediate impact.  

Attacker Fabio Carvalho has moved on to Liverpool, and the Portuguese youth international has left a creative void in the side. Fulham fans will be hoping that signing Andreas Pereira can make the difference. The former Manchester United player had plenty of potential when he broke into the team in 2014. However a series of loan moves have halted his progress, and the 26-year old will be looking to prove himself at Fulham.  
 

One to watch: Aleksandar Mitrović

After a record breaking season in front of goal, Aleksandar Mitrović is the main man at Fulham. 43 goals in 44 Championship games put the big Serbian in the record books for the most goals in a single season in the English second tier. The question now remains if he can transfer that red-hot goal scoring form to the Premier League. His last two seasons in the Premier League ended with three and eleven goals. If Mitrović can even find half of his form from last season then Fulham can expect to beat the drop. 

First five fixtures: Liverpool, Wolves, Brentford, Arsenal, Brighton

Transfers In
Joao Palhinha (£18m, Sporting Lisbon)
Andreas Pereira (£8.5m, Manchester United)
Manor Solomon (loan, Shakhtar Donetsk)
Kevin Mbabu (£6.4m, Wolfsburg)
Bernd Leno (£3m, Arsenal)

Transfers Out
Fabio Carvalho (undisclosed, Liverpool)
Cyrus Christie (released)
Fabri (released)
Michael Hector (released)
Alfie Mawson (released)
Jean Michael Seri (free, Hull City)
Timmy Abraham (released)
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (£13.5m, Napoli)
Sonny Hilton (loan, Carlisle United)
Taye Ashby-Hammond (loan, Swindon Town)
Steven Sessegnon (loan, Charlton Athletic)
Kieron Bowie (loan, Northampton Town)

Fulham total spent to date: £35.9m
Fulham total received to date: £13.5m
Fulham net transfer balance: -£22.4m

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