Kevin Scout Report At Fulham 2025/2026: Who Is The Cottagers Record Signing? – Player Analysis

Fulham were quiet for most of the summer until it emerged that they were interested in Shakhtar Donetsk winger Kevin. 

It took until the final days of the window, but the Cottagers finally reached a deal. 

The 22-year-old Brazilian ultimately cost Fulham £34.6m, the largest transfer fee ever paid by the West London club. 

Many great Brazilian talents have come through Shakhtar Donetsk over the years.

Players like Douglas Costa, Willian, and Fernandinho have moved from Ukrainian giants to some of the biggest clubs in Europe. 

Kevin began his senior career at Brazilian side Palmeiras before moving to Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2024 for a fee of €12 million plus add-ons. 

He was an absolute star for the one and a half seasons he spent with Shakhtar Donetsk, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists in 57 appearances. 

With that being said, according to Transfermarkt, Kevin has an estimated transfer value of £10.4m. 

So why did Fulham FC seemingly overpay for the talented Brazilian winger? 

In this player analysis, we will examine how Kevin Santos Lopes de Macedo fits into Marco Silva style of play at Fulham. 

We will also look at Kevin data profile from his one-and-a-half seasons with Shakhtar, his ability as an elite dribbler, and some areas for improvement as he makes the jump to the most difficult domestic league in world football. 

Fulham Style Of Play

Before we scout Kevin, it’s important to understand Fulham’s style of play under Marco Silva tactics. 

The Cottagers are a bit different because while most teams in modern football want to play through the central parts of the pitch, Fulham wants to play through the wide channels. 

According to WhoScored, 75% of the Cottagers attacks during the 2024/25 season originated from out wide, with 41% coming down the left flank. 

Marco Silvas entire goal is to create four or five-man overloads in wide areas, play short passes through their opponents, and get the ball into the final third to send a cross into the box. 

The Cottagers led the Premier League last season in both the number of attempts (894) and the number of completed crosses into the penalty area (108).

Most of their attacks came down the left side of the pitch, and Fulham have one of the best progressive left-backs in the Premier League, Antonee Robinson. 

Last season, he attempted 19% of Fulham’s crosses and led the Premier League for completed crosses into the penalty area.

Most importantly, he also led Fulham with 10 assists.

What Fulham has desperately needed for a while is a winger who can free up space for Robinson to make both overlapping and underlapping runs to be able to send in these types of crosses. 

From their goal against Manchester United, its clear that Alex Iwobi has been the player this season who has had to do most of the work in the wide left areas, a role in which he’s very effective. 

What is great about a player like Alex Iwobi is his versatility.