Fulham to sign Belgian Fullback?

I think we can all agree Fulham could use a defender, or two, or three. Denis Odoi just happens to be a defender and according to reports is set to take a medical at Fulham.

The good news is that this is a new signing. The even better news is that he has pace, it’s hard to find great highlights but the highly scientific FIFA 16 rankings gives him an 86 on pace.

The bad news is, that he’s a right back first and a left back second. Although he’s played almost as much left back as right back over the years, he is right footed and right back is his preferred position. Though, if this portends the exit of Jazz Richards maybe this isn’t bad news.

Something else that isn’t in his favor is the league he plays in and his age. While the Belgian league can be really fun to watch, outside of the top three (Anderlecht, Club Brugge, and Standard Liege), the quality isn’t very high. While Odoi did play a few years for Anderlecht, he then transferred to Sporting Lorkeren. The best young Belgian players tend to either stay with the big three clubs or move outside the league. The fact that he’s 28 and still at a mid-table Belgian side should give you pause. The quality he’s faced day in and day out probably is less than what he will play in the Championship.

So in summary, if he’s being signed to be the primary left back, I’m a little hesitant. Moving to a new league is hard enough. When the league is a step up and you’re doing it slightly out of position that’s even harder. However, he could be being signed to push Ryan Fredericks at right back. That would move Jazz Richards out. Plus, he’d also be able to provide cover at left back (assuming Fulham sign another left back to start). If that’s the case, I’m much higher on the move.