Newly-promoted Premier League club Fulham have reportedly been offered the opportunity to sign Belgian defender Jason Denayer on a free transfer.
According to Football Insider, Fulham have been offered the chance to sign former Lyon centre-back Jason Denayer in a Bosman move. The 27-year-old Belgian international is currently a free agent following the expiration of his contract with Lyon this summer.
Fulham, following their promotion to the English top-flight, have been keen to add defensive reinforcements as they try to secure their Premier League status for the 2022/23 season. The Cottagers have so far signed just Shane Duffy on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion to address the situation.
The London outfit were in the market for Leicester City centre-back Jannik Vestergaard and had even agreed on a fee with the Foxes. However, the Danish defender rejected the opportunity to join Fulham, leaving them with no option but to look at other candidates.
Now Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez has suggested to Fulham boss Marco Silva that they should move in for Denayer, who can play as a right-back and a centre-back. The 27-year-old is now a free agent after his four-year contract with Lyon ran down this summer.
The Belgian defender made 137 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit after joining them from Manchester City in the 2018 summer transfer window. Denayer also scored eight goals and provided two assists for Lyon. Denayer’s 2021/22 season was adversely affected due to injuries, as he made just 15 league appearances for them.
Now a free agent, any club can approach the 27-year-old with a contract and try to sign him. He could be a decent addition to Silva’s squad at Fulham as he has previous Premier League experience, having played 24 times in the top flight for Sunderland. The Belgian international also has UEFA Champions League experience under his belt, representing Celtic, Galatasaray and Lyon in the competition.
Denayer also has 35 caps for the Belgian national side and an international goal to his name. The defender has previously been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, but neither club showed serious interest in him. It will be interesting to see if he joins Fulham this summer.
