Why Fulham must offer Marcus Bettinelli a new contract
According to Daily Mail, Fulham are set to offer England goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli a new contract before the end of September. Bettinelli’s current contract is set to expire at the end of next season and Fulham have the option of extending his stay by 12 months.
However, the Cottagers must not risk their No.1 choice between the sticks. Bettinelli was the subject of interest from West Ham and Crystal Palace in the summer and Fulham want to keep potential suitors at bay by offering the 26-year-old a new contract (h/t Daily Mail).
Slavisa Jokanovic’s side have made a slow start to their Premier League campaign with only a solitary win from their first five games. However, the Cottagers were impressive in the 4-2 win over Burnley and put together a decent performance in the 2-2 draw against Brighton. Despite losing a few games, Fulham have looked promising, especially in the attacking third.
Fulham made headlines in the summer by signing Aleksandar Mitrovic (loan deal made permanent), Jean Michael Seri and Andre Schurrle. However, they did not do enough to bolster their defence and the result has been quite evident.
The Cottagers have already conceded 12 goals from their first five matches and the lack of defensive options could possibly be a roadblock to their chances of survival in the Premier League. Considering the quality of players that Fulham have in their ranks, they are not outright relegation contenders but they haven’t helped themselves with a lacklustre start to the campaign.
Besides Mitrovic, Seri and Schurrle, Marcus Bettinelli has arguably been Fulham’s standout performer. As a result of his fine performances, he was called by Gareth Southgate for international duty in England’s UEFA Nations League fixtures against Spain and Switzerland.
A product of Fulham’s youth academy, Bettinelli signed his first professional contract with the Cottagers in 2010 and has made a total of 101 appearances for the club across all competitions. Over the course of his career with Fulham, he was relegated to bench duty numerous times in the past and even spent time on loan at Accrington Stanley. Now, however, the 26-year-old has managed to establish himself as the club’s No.1 between the sticks.
He was a regular for Fulham in the Championship last season, where he made 26 appearances and 63 saves, averaging 2.3 saves per game. In the Premier League this term, Bettinelli has managed 9 saves so far at the rate of 3 per game, which goes to show his reliability and consistency.
In his earlier days, Bettinelli was vulnerable while collecting crosses and aerial balls and struggled to deal with close-range shots. However, he has taken his game to a new level this season. The 26-year-old has already put in three outstanding shifts between the sticks, looking confident while dealing with crosses. The incredible penalty save against Brighton and the one-on-one save to deny Raheem Sterling against Manchester City have been the highlights of his stellar displays in the Premier League so far.
Read More:- Opinion: Jokanovic’s Fulham might have lost their opening games but they will be a force to reckon with soon
Bettinelli is definitely one of England’s rising shot stoppers and his stock has soared higher after he was called up to the England squad. Fulham should not waste any time in offering him a new deal with improved wages to keep him at the club. In fact, he might be the key to Fulham’s fortunes in the Premier League this season.
