Fulham Make Late Move to Keep Kenny Tete With New Contract Offer of £15m Despite Everton Agreement to….
In a dramatic turn of events, Fulham have made a bold last-minute move to keep hold of right-back Kenny Tete, sending him an improved contract proposal today—just days after he verbally agreed to join Everton. The Premier League defender had been on the verge of sealing a switch to Goodison Park, with personal terms reportedly close to completion, but Fulham’s latest offer could change everything.
Sources close to the player suggest the West London club made their proposal after internal discussions intensified this week. The timing is no coincidence. Tete, who has become a fan favourite at Craven Cottage for his consistency, work rate, and defensive quality, has just one year left on his current deal. Fulham’s sudden urgency to retain him appears to reflect their increasing concern about losing experienced players during the summer rebuild.
Tete had verbally committed to a move to Everton earlier in the week, following direct talks with manager Sean Dyche and representatives of the Merseyside club. The deal would have seen him become a key part of Dyche’s squad rebuild, with the right-back role identified as a priority position after Seamus Coleman’s age and injury issues limited his contributions last season.
But Fulham’s late intervention has thrown the situation into flux. The new offer on the table is believed to be a significant upgrade on Tete’s current terms, both in terms of wages and contract length. The Cottagers are also understood to have offered assurances over his role in the first team, which had been a point of tension during the past campaign, where rotation and injuries limited his consistent involvement.
At 29, Tete is entering the prime years of his career, and both clubs see his experience, physicality, and tactical intelligence as crucial assets. Fulham manager Marco Silva has always rated the Dutch international highly, and insiders say he played a pivotal role in convincing the board to make one final push to retain him.
For Everton, this will come as a frustrating twist. They had viewed Tete as a smart, low-cost acquisition in a difficult financial window, and while a deal isn’t dead, it now hangs in the balance. Fulham’s improved proposal gives Tete a real decision to make—stick with the familiar surroundings of West London, or take on a new challenge at a storied club trying to find its feet again in the Premier League.
A final decision is expected imminently, possibly within the next 48 hours, as Tete and his representatives weigh up the two options. Both clubs remain hopeful, but only one will get their man.
For Fulham fans, the fact that the club is fighting to keep key players is a welcome sign of ambition. Whether it will be enough to convince Tete to stay remains to be seen—but the door, it seems, is still open.
Stay tuned—this transfer saga is not over yet.