Just three days after the Chronicle confirmed our interest in signing Fulham’s Ryan Fredericks, it has emerged today that West Ham have pipped us to the post, agreeing a deal to sign the right-back on a free transfer.
Less than a week after earning promotion to the Premier League with Fulham, it emerged a few that we had joined West Ham and Crystal Palace in the race to sign him on a free this summer – a bargain deal given he’d supplied 9 assists from right-back last season and been one of Fulham’s best players.
The Chronicle stated that Rafa had named the signing of a right-back as one of his top priorities over the coming months and it seemed as though the 25-year-old speedster had been identified as a target; but talk of him arriving on Tyneside has been short lived.
Breaking: Fredericks signs for West Ham today. First one across the line. He did well for Fulham at right back. Similarities with Kyle Walker. More on @MailSport by @SamiMokbel81_DM shortly. #WHUFC
— Lee Clayton (@LeeClayton_) June 1, 2018
As confirmed above (and by various reports this morning), Fredericks looks all set to sign for the Hammers today, with him set to be Manuel Pellegrini’s first arrival.
In all honesty, his pace, eagerness to get forward and alleged limitations defensively remind me all too much of DeAndre Yedlin, so maybe it’d be wise to bring in a slightly different option to compete with him at right-back?
It’s frustrating to hear we’ve ‘missed out’ (a common theme last summer), and I’m presuming their ability to offer higher wages has something to do with that, however he is from Hammersmith and has nearly always played in London, so maybe he was always intent on remaining down south.
Moving on!
