Why Fulham signing Adarabioyo and Andersen could make a big difference
As confirmed via Fulham’s official website, Premier League newcomers Fulham have completed the signing of Danish international centre-back Joachim Andersen on a season-long loan deal from French giants Lyon.
The 24-year-old has expressed his delight after securing a temporary move to Craven Cottage, insisting that it was always his dream to play in the Premier League one day. Club owner Tony Khan also confirmed that Andersen had been one of Fulham’s top targets for the summer. (h/t Fulham official)
Meanwhile, Manchester City have taken to their official website to confirm the departure of centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo to Fulham on a permanent deal. The 23-year-old has put pen to paper on a 3-year contract with the West London outfit, who hold the option of extending his stay by a further 12 months.
Profile
Joachim Andersen started his professional career with FC Twente in the Netherlands after completing his development at Copenhagen and Midtjylland in Denmark. He made 50 appearances for Twente in all competitions before moving across the continent to join Sampdoria in the Italian Serie A.
Having played a bit-part role in his debut season in Italy, Andersen eventually established himself as a regular starter for Sampdoria during the 2018-19 campaign, featuring 34 times in all competitions.
The 24-year-old completed a move to Lyon last summer. He went on to make 32 appearances in all competitions last season, playing a key role as Lyon went all the way through to the semi-final of the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Tosin Adarabioyo made 8 first-team appearances for Man City after coming through the club’s youth system. He subsequently went on to enjoy productive loan spells at West Brom and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, making a total of 79 appearances.
Fulham desperately needed more quality at the back
Fulham have endured a nightmarish start to life back in the Premier League, with the Cottagers suffering defeats in all of their four league outings so far. Scott Parker’s side have failed to score in three of those four games while their defensive frailties have been brutally exposed.
The West London outfit currently find themselves rock bottom of the standings after scoring just three goals and conceding as many as 11 so far. Writing them off too early might be unfair but it goes without saying that Fulham need more quality at both ends of the pitch if they are to beat the drop.
The acquisition of Joachim Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo comes as a welcome boost to Fulham’s tottering campaign in the Premier League. The existing set of defenders at the club just hasn’t been able to stem the inflow of goals in the top-flight and the door certainly remains open for the new arrivals to cement their places in the starting XI.
The arrival of Andersen, in particular, should create more buzz and excitement among the fans. Standing at 6ft 4in with a towering frame, the Dane showed his quality in the Champions League last season while he also boasts of top-flight experience in France, Italy, and Holland.
Adarabioyo, on the other hand, ticks the box as a top-quality homegrown talent, who also played in the Champions League for Man City earlier in his career. The 23-year-old hasn’t played in the Premier League before but his impressive displays while on loan in the Championship clearly suggest that the 6ft 5in giant is ready to make the step up to the top-flight.
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Verdict
Suffice to say, the arrivals of Tosin Adarabioyo and Joachim Andersen will certainly ensure more competition for places at the heart of Fulham’s defence. Both are quality young centre-backs with a lot of potential.
All in all, Fulham’s double swoop for these two quality players could be quite useful as they prepare to fight relegation in the Premier League this season.
