Fulham have reportedly reached an agreement with Premier League rival Leicester City to sign 30-year-old centre-back Jannik Vestergaard.
According to Football Insider, Fulham are closing in on the capture of Danish central defender Jannik Vestergaard from Leicester City after agreeing a deal with their Premier League counterparts as they consider backing away from signing West Ham United’s Issa Diop.
The 30-year-old first arrived in England in 2018, joining Southampton from Borussia Monchengladbach in a £22 million deal. Vestergaard made 79 appearances across all competitions for the Saints over the next three seasons before joining Leicester City last summer in a £15 million move.
However, the move has not gone as planned, as the Dane has struggled to make an impression at the King Power Stadium, making only ten Premier League appearances last season, four of which came off the bench. Vestergaard has slipped down the pecking order, and with the Foxes finding themselves in a difficult financial situation, it seems they are ready to cut their losses and offload Vestergaard.
Leicester City have been open to offers for the Danish international all summer, and interest from within the Premier League has emerged for the former Southampton defender, with Fulham interested in securing his services as manager Marco Silva looks to bring more power and top-flight experience at the back.
The 30-year-old centre-back still has three years left on his contract with Leicester, but it appears Fulham are ready to hand him as an escape route from the King Power Stadium this summer. Marco Silva’s side have had a bid accepted by Leicester for the Danish international, with only personal terms left to be sorted out to reach a full agreement with all parties involved.
Despite the arrival of Shane Duffy on a season-long loan deal, Fulham are in the market for another centre-back and have already sounded out moves for Malang Sarr, Issa Diop and Vestergaard. However, with West Ham United demanding around £20 million for Diop, the deal fell through, and Fulham moved on to explore other, presumably cheaper targets.
Vestergaard certainly fits that bill for a cut-price fee. While he may have struggled to find his feet under Brendan Rodgers at Leicester, the Dane comes with extensive Premier League experience, having previously enjoyed a successful stint at Southampton. Known for his aerial dominance, tackling and ball interception, he also has ball-playing attributes which could see him being an upgrade on Tim Ream.