Italian football expert reveals inside story of Fulham's Samuel Chukwueze deal and why fans may be wary
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(Credit: Imago, Hasan Karim - Breaking Media)
Edward Bazeley
Fri 5 September 2025 14:53, UK
Fulham supporters may already be concerned by the transfer deadline day addition of Samuel Chukwueze, given the circumstances surrounding his departure from AC Milan.
To conclude a relatively quiet transfer window at Craven Cottage, Fulham signed Chukwueze on loan from Milan on Monday, 1 September.
Meanwhile, the West London side’s late move for Chukwueze could have appeased the 48-year-old as he ponders his future.
However, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Euro Leagues podcast [4 September], Italian football expert James Horncastle warned: “I was very excited when Milan signed him from Villarreal in the same summer that they signed Christian Pulisic.
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“Never worked out, Chukwueze at Milan.
They had high expectations, £23million spent, which is quite a lot for the current AC Milan and he never established himself in the team.
“They really thought that the kind of high-wire act, his electricity, his ability to beat players one v one would make him one of the top wingers in Serie A.
This move to Fulham has been on the cards really for six months because AC Milan have been open to offers for him be it on loan, or on a permanent.
“It’s happened on the final day of the transfer window.
I would like to see Chukwueze get back to being the player that he showed himself to be at Villarreal, but I think Fulham could have done this deal early had they wanted.
“What does it say about where he was in Fulham’s list of priorities?
I don’t know but let’s see because he can be a really, really fun player to watch on his day.”
Credit: Imago
Football Insider verdict
Amid Fulham’s swoop for Chukwueze, fellow winger Harry Wilson came close to joining Leeds United from the West London outfit.
Samuel Chukwueze statsSerie A 2024/25Appearances26Goals3Assists2Chukwueze struggled last season
Meanwhile, as alluded to by Horncastle, the Nigeria international proved his worth in Spain for Villarreal before joining Milan in 2023.
In his final season for the La Liga club, Chukwueze notched an impressive return of 13 goals and 10 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions.
However, the 26-year-old has scored just eight goals in two full seasons with Milan before making his transfer deadline day move to Fulham.
It is evident that the winger struggled to adapt to Serie A after leaving La Liga, and he may suffer a similar fate after switching to the Premier League, which is Europe’s toughest division.
If Chukwueze’s transfer to Craven Cottage is not successful, it could be detrimental to a Fulham outfit who have earned just two points from their first three Premier League games.