Ethan Ampadu
According to The Athletic (h/t Daily Mail), Fulham are interested in sealing a loan deal for Chelsea youngster Ethan Ampadu.
The 19-year-old spent the 2019-20 season on loan with Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig, however, endured a difficult spell in Germany. Ampadu featured just seven times for Leipzig across all competitions, with three of them coming in the league and the other three in the Champions League.
Having managed just little game time in Germany, Chelsea are most likely to send him out on loan once again before involving him in manager Frank Lampard’s first-team activities.
The Cottagers under manager Scott Parker secured their return to the Premier League after winning the Championship playoff final against Brentford. One of the major reasons for Fulham’s success this season has been a rock-solid and consistent defence that conceded just 48 goals in 46 league games.
Though Fulham have as many as four centre-backs in their ranks, there are still issues unresolved and the club it won’t serve them well next season in the Premier League. Among the four defenders, veteran Tim Ream has been the most consistent, with 44 league appearances to his name.
However, he will turn 33 in October and is clearly nearing the end of his career. Apart from Ream, Fulham have Alfie Mawson, Maxime Le Marchand and newcomer Michael Hector in their side. Mawson was a regular in the side initially before losing his place in the first-team following a knee injury.
Mawson’s injury saw Fulham rope in Jamaican defender Hector from Chelsea back in January as a replacement. Since then, he has been a regular presence at the back alongside Ream, featuring 20 times in the Championship.
Meanwhile, 30-year-old Le Marchand is clearly not Parker’s favourite, having made just 12 league appearances for the side this season. That said, it is clear that Fulham are in need of some reinforcements if they play the physically more challenging Premier League next season and Ampadu’s arrival will offer them strength.
Moreover, the youngster will be keen to prove a point, having spent much of his time in Germany on the sidelines. This will, in turn, help Fulham in the top-flight next season as they would have a quality youngster to help them out.
Fulham have been defensively solid this season, however, it may not be enough to help them sustain in the top-flight. Thus, Ampadu’s arrival will only bolster their squad. There also remains the growing age concern of defenders Ream and Le Marchand, who are already past their thirties. A loan move for Ampadu could also save Fulham from spending money in the summer.
