Marco Silva urges quick January business as Fulham seek reinforcements

Marco Silva has urged Fulham’s hierarchy to act swiftly in the January transfer window, stressing that business must be done in the first few days after frustration at the club’s slow summer dealings. Speaking ahead of Fulham’s clash with Manchester City on Tuesday, the Portuguese head coach made it clear that the West London side cannot afford another delayed recruitment cycle after three Deadline Day arrivals struggled to integrate.

Fulham spent heavily in August — including a club-record fee for Kevin, the signing of Samuel Chukwueze from AC Milan, and teenage striker Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich — yet all three needed time to reach Premier League intensity. Silva believes the club paid a price for late activity and expects a far more proactive approach next month.

“I don’t want to put a number on it,” Silva said. “These last three or four months created a different scenario for us. One

Silva’s frustration stems partly from squad instability, particularly in defence. Left-back Antonee Robinson remains sidelined following setbacks in his recovery from knee surgery. Though the American international is back doing individual work, he is still some distance from match readiness.

Silva, however, does not expect Fulham to sign a replacement.

“Let’s see how it is going to be with Robinson,” he said. “We are positive, even with this scenario that has been difficult for us — and for him more than for us. But we are positive that when he’s back and not with setbacks, he can be a very good signing for us in the second half of the season.”

Robinson’s return may feel like an internal reinforcement, but Fulham’s bigger structural issue lies up front.

Striker Rodrigo Muniz is out until February after hamstring surgery, creating a major void in a position that Silva admitted is extremely difficult to address mid-season.

“We have this scenario of Rodrigo that creates a completely different situation in a really specific position,” Silva said. “It is a difficult position for us.”

Compounding the issue is the slow adaptation of Jonah Kusi-Asare. The Swedish teenager — signed on loan with an option to buy — has played just one minute of Premier League football. His inexperience, coupled with the demands of Silva’s system, has left the manager hesitant to rely on him as cover.

Reports have suggested Bayern Munich may recall the youngster in January, but Silva insisted no discussions have taken place.

“Not any conversation until now,” he said. “Jonah is working hard. He’s trying to improve as much as he can. He knows the things he needs to improve for the level and the intensity the Premier League demands.”

Silva’s words underline both belief in Kusi-Asare’s long-term potential and doubt over his readiness for immediate responsibility.

Having studied Fulham’s transfer cycles under Silva, this feels like an overdue pivot in strategy. The club’s summer approach — expensive, last-minute, reactive — left Silva integrating key players deep into the season. In our view, his public push for early January activity is as much a message to the board as it is a logistical preference. Fulham cannot build consistency if recruitment habitually arrives too late.

Although some supporters may argue that injuries were the true disruptor, it’s worth questioning how much smoother the first third of the season would have been had Kevin, Chukwueze and Kusi-Asare arrived in July rather than August. Silva’s system depends on automatisms, pressing patterns and wide overloads — elements that require time, not improvisation.

From my experience analysing mid-table Premier League sides, the teams who climb upward are the ones who treat January as an opportunity to sharpen their identity rather than plug emergencies. Fulham’s striker dilemma and Robinson’s absence highlight a squad that needs timely, not dramatic, reinforcement.

Fulham face Manchester City on Tuesday before travelling to Arsenal at the weekend. The next four weeks will reveal whether the club can achieve the transfer urgency Silva is demanding.

👉 Should Fulham focus their January budget on a striker, or strengthen multiple areas to protect the squad through winter?