Why Fulham signing Harrison Reed permanently makes perfect sense
According to Sky Sports, Fulham have agreed on a permanent deal with Southampton for midfielder Harrison Reed, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Craven Cottage in the Championship.
As per the report, the 25-year-old has joined Fulham for a fee of around £6million, having signed a 4-year deal contract with the West London outfit until the summer of 2024. The Cottagers have the option to extend his stay by a further year, thus effectively tying Reed down until 2025.
Profile
Born in Worthing, Harrison Reed rose through the youth ranks of Southampton before making his first-team breakthrough for the Saints during the 2013-14 season.
However, the former England U-20 international struggled to establish himself as a regular fixture at his boyhood club, making a meagre 17 PL appearances over the course of four seasons before venturing out on loan.
Reed spent the previous three seasons on loan at Championship clubs Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham. The midfielder featured 28 times in the league last term as the Cottagers beat Brentford in the playoffs to secure a return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
Why it’s a fair deal for all parties
Fulham’s promotion-winning campaign in the Championship last term was largely supported by star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 26-goal haul. However, there were several others who chipped in with significant contributions as the Cottagers made an immediate return to the Premier League.
The likes of Ivan Cavaleiro, Anthony Knockaert, Harrison Reed, Harry Arter, and Bobby Reid, all loan signings from various clubs last summer, were instrumental in Fulham’s quest for promotion glory.
The West London outfit had already secured permanent deals for the likes of Cavaleiro, Knockaert, and Reid, and the decision to retain the services of Harrison Reed marks a continuation of the same policy.
Fulham opted for a complete squad overhaul back in the summer of 2018 following their promotion to the Premier League, thus resulting in the sidelining of several players who had been key to their promotion success. The new recruits failed to deliver miserably as Scott Parker’s side were eventually relegated.
However, the Cottagers seem to have adopted a completely different approach in the transfer market this time around. The decision to complete permanent deals for several of last season’s loanees mean that Fulham are prepared to show a lot of faith in the set of players who got them promoted.
Reed was a major contributor for Parker’s side last term in the Championship, and the West Londoners will be hoping that he manages to prove his credentials in the top-flight after signing him up permanently.
The 25-year-old has played a handful of games for Southampton in the PL earlier in his career, so he’s not completely new to the challenge.
Plus, the midfielder still has his best years ahead of him and with so much Championship loan experience under his belt, he could well continue to be a key player for Fulham in the top-flight moving forward.
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Verdict
The acquisition of Harrison Reed on a permanent deal represents yet another piece of shrewd business as far as Fulham are concerned.
The midfielder is already integrated into Parker’s setup, having spent the previous campaign on loan. That would save time required by a new player to acclimatise to his new surroundings, thus making things a lot easier for the manager.
