Fulham Ready For Big Spending Chelsea & Fans Will Be Looking For Debuts

With the January transfer window now closed, thoughts turn back to this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures and there are some sides who will be giving quick debuts to their newest captures – particularly one or two who came into clubs late on during deadline day.

With this round of top flight fixtures kicking off on Friday evening as Chelsea welcome Fulham to Stamford Bridge, fans on both sides of that particular London divide will each have their eye on captures each club made on deadline day. For Chelsea, the reported £107 million capture of Argentine World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez will feature highly on their list of playersbest they hope to see in the starting line up, whereas for Fulham, they will have their eyes on their own £8.8 million signing of Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic.

Whilst Graham Potter was playing his cards close to his chest on whether or not Fernandez would be considered for this clash, Fulham manager Marko Silva was equally as coy when it came to Lukic, simply stating that on a team selection front, the players available in the last game were again available for this one, whereas their new signing would be a ‘late decision’ as he selected his starting XI.

As Silva goes into what will be his 400th professional game in management, given their big money spending in the last two windows, Chelsea featured highly in the questions he faced but he insisted his own side was ‘ready’ to face them regardless of the signings they made last month, and regardless of how they choose to line up on the night.

“They have the capacity to change systems and do something different. We are going to be ready to face the different types of formations they can play and the new signings. They strengthened their squad and they were able to do the same again in this transfer window. They have that power. If this is too much money or not, is not for me to talk about.”

Pressed further on whether or not the varying spending available to different clubs in the English top flight was fair or not, the former Everton and Watford gaffer made his thoughts very clear, whilst also remaining very calm and respectful of the differing financial clout of his fellow Premier League contenders.

“It is not the first time. All of us we know the difference between certain types of club. The power in the market and the money to go into the market as well. I’m much more concerned about the clubs at our level. If some clubs around us, the same profile as this football club, if they show more power than us then we have to be aware of this and to do the right things to make our team stronger.”

On paper, many in the wider world of football will think that Friday evening’s clash is a no brainer given relative January spending, but it should certainly be remembered that heading further into February and this game in particular, Fulham actually have a two point advantage over Chelsea and sit three places higher than they do as Silva’s side occupy seventh spot.

For the neutrals in football, this could well be a very entertaining game which could easily swing either way.