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Liverpool came in hard at the last minute and given that Roberts supported the club as a boy (though to me he still is a boy), they thought they might have had their Sterling replacement. However, Manchester City finally won out in the end.
I am very happy to announce that I've signed for @MCFC I'm absolutely over the moon and can't wait to get started! pic.twitter.com/U52Y0ljHu6
— Patrick Roberts (@patrick7roberts) July 20, 2015
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone @FulhamFC been unbelievable to me the 5 years I was there! I wish you all a very good season
— Patrick Roberts (@patrick7roberts) July 20, 2015
The complete details of the deal are a mystery as always, but Simon Peach is reporting a favorable deal for Fulham.
#FFC did brilliantly to get so much out of #MCFC for Patrick Roberts. Initial £5m, potential extra £6m & sell-on clause in the region of 20%
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) July 20, 2015
It's sad to see Roberts go, especially since he never really left a mark on the Fulham first team. It's important to remember though that this is one of the purposes of an academy. Yes, the number one purpose is to produce first team players; but the second purpose is to produce players that can be sold. £5M probably is enough to fund the academy for some time. An extra £6M would do so in the future. And a 20% sell on fee could be massive. If Roberts were to be sold for a Sterling like fee in two years (not likely, but also not out of the question), Fulham would be due another £10M.
I'm not sure this is the best move for Roberts at this time. He'll probably have to go out on loan to see playing time. But Fulham did well to get what they got, and I really can't argue too much with Roberts wanting to move on. Hopefully this is a case where it works out for all the parties.