Liverpool are the latest top-tier team to be linked with the left-back after an eye-catching first half of the Premier League season
Antonee Robinson shouldn't be in a rush to leave Fulham. The U.S. men's national team left-back is a legitimate regular with the club, having grown immensely during his time at Craven Cottage. He arrived in 2020 in search of a Premier League chance, and he hasn't looked back in the slightest, making 132 total appearances for the club in the years since.
In the process, he's become one of the first names on the USMNT team sheet. Overall, it's been a perfect marriage of player and club that has ultimately produced one hell of an international soccer player.
For years, though, that next step has felt oh so close for Robinson. He's been linked with a few of them, having been a rumored target of some of the world's biggest clubs in Europe's biggest leagues. Those rumors have persisted this winter, as top clubs, wherever they are, seem to have an eye on the man they call 'Jedi'.
At 26 years old, though, it's time to wonder when and if that big move will come. His USMNT spot is secure thanks to his heroics at Fulham, but could Robinson find himself playing at a higher level at some point in the near future?
Getty ImagesFailed Milan move
It's been four years Robinson's protracted move to AC Milan fell through but even after all of this time, it feels like a fever dream. After breaking through during a loan spell at Wigan Athletic in 2018-19, the Everton academy product joined the club permanently in July 2019. Six months later, though, Milan came calling, offering a $13 million bid that Wigan, obviously, accepted.
After impressing in the Championship, Robinson was set to take a huge leap. He was going to join one of the world's most historic teams years before Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah arrived to bring American flavor to San Siro. Everything was in place for a dream move.
That was, until it wasn't. After undergoing a medical at Milan, it was revealed that Robinson's heartbeat was irregular. Pushed up against the January deadline, the Rossoneri didn't have enough time to investigate with further tests. Instead, the club played it safe and pulled out of the deal.
Robinson underwent a procedure to correct the issue, but by that time, the Milan deal had passed him by. He did get his move that summer, joining Fulham for a much smaller transfer fee, but after all of these years, it's easy to wonder what might have been for him at Milan.
Advertisement(C)GettyImagesSnubbing Man City
There are few better coaches in history better at identifying and developing talent than Pep Guardiola. His track record speaks for itself. Yes, he spends money, but that money is very rarely wasted. Almost every player that arrives at a Guardiola-run club turns out to be pretty damn good.
And, last summer, Guardiola reportedly identified Robinson as a player that could join Manchester City's elite stable of fullbacks. City won the Champions League just a few months before, and this was another huge club seemingly pursuing Jedi.
Even so, Robinson opted to remain at Fulham, disappointing both Newcastle and Wolves who were also showing interest in him. He signed a new contract to keep him at Craven Cottage, committing him to the club for five more seasons.
“To the fans who have stuck by me, supported me ever since I’ve been at this club, it’s been one hell of a ride,” Robinson told Fulham's official website. “Some ups, some downs, especially off the back of last season, I just want to thank you for your massive support.
“I’m going to repay that support with a lot of hard work to improve myself, and continue to grow as a team."
Getty ImagesAn Evertonian… at Liverpool?
The latest club linked with Robinson? Liverpool – and what a wild move that would be! The fullback was born in Milton Keynes, but the early years of his career were spent with Liverpool's local rivals, Everton. From 2008-19, Robinson came through the ranks at the Toffees, although he never made an appearance for the senior team in between loan spells.
Four-and-a-half years after leaving Everton to further his career, Liverpool reportedly came calling during the ongoing January transfer window. With injuries to both Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas leaving Jurgen Klopp short of left-backs, the Reds identified Robinson as a potential fit who could both cover in the short-term and be a key contributor further into the future.
So far, there hasn't been any movement on a deal, with it seemingly going a quiet as we head into the final week of the window. Plenty can change quickly, though, so this one might not be done yet.
Why are big clubs swirling?
On the surface, there is a reason to ask the question: Why are so many big clubs chasing a defender from Fulham? A quick dive into the statistics, though, offers a pretty good answer.
Only one Premier League player had more than 90 tackles, clearances and interceptions throughout the whole of 2023. That player, of course, was Robinson, who also recorded 13 more interceptions (52) than any other player across Europe's top-five leagues when the calendars shifted from 2023 to 2024.
In an attacking sense, he is also contributing, as he became the first-ever USMNT player to provide assists in three successive Premier League games back in early December. They remain his only league assists of the season to date, but that still puts him on a par with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard.
Heading into the New Year, named Robinson to their Premier League Team of the Season so far, linking him up with stars like Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Rodri, Bukayo Saka and Erling Haaland. The Fulham fullback had a quick laugh at his achievement, too, posting a famous clown meme to hint that he felt like he didn't fully belong among the Premier League's elite.
Antonee Robinson Instagram
The stats say otherwise, though. For some time, Robinson has been among the best in his position in England's top flight.
