Why Alfie Mawson to Fulham is a good move for both parties
Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson is nearing a move to Premier League club Fulham, with talks reaching an advanced stage between the two clubs. The Cottagers entered the race to sign the centre-back on Friday after Burnley and West Ham United cooled their interest in the player.
Reports claim that Mawson could be a Fulham player as early as in the next 72 hours. Swansea wanted more than £20m for the player, who was one of their shining lights despite a poor last season for the club overall. He had a knee surgery in May, and he is still recovering that. However, he is expected to return to full fitness by the start of the new season.
Fulham have done some great business this summer, signing the likes of Andre Schurrle, Jean Michael Seri, etc. But signing Mawson will add the cherry to the cake.
Here’s why the Englishman will be a good signing for the club:
Player Analysis – Alfie Mawson
Age – 24
Main Position – Centre-back
Mawson is a solid defender who has the required height physicality to dominate centre-forwards with ease. His simplistic way of defending sets the 24-year-old apart from his contemporaries.
He wins an average of 3.2 aerial duels per game, proving that he can high balls in both boxes. His ability to do so makes him a genuine threat from set-pieces. The Englishman doesn’t shy away from making tackles, doing so at an average of 0.8 to stop the opposition attackers’ progress.
He is also a brave defender and is always willing to step up and intercept crucial through balls that are dangerous for the team. His only weakness would be his lack of positional awareness, which can be improved as he becomes accustomed to playing in the Premier League.
Swansea’s relegation to the Championship means Mawson must move out of the club to continue playing top-level football. Hence, moving to Fulham will be right for his development as a player.
Read More: Why Fulham must beat Wolves to the signature of this £16m-rated protege of Pep Guardiola
Conclusion
Fulham have quality defenders at their disposal and signing Mawson will further improve that department. Manager Slavisa Jokanovic needs good backup players as the club gets ready to face bigger challenges in the Premier League.
Stats Courtesy – Who Scored.com
