Tottenham Hotspur lead the race to sign Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon, according to a report Dan Kilpatrick and Giuseppe Muro of the Evening Standard. The 18-year-old is keen to stay in London after the Cottagers’ relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
Tottenham Hotspur in Pole Position to Sign Ryan Sessegnon
Highly-Coveted Teenager
Sessegnon does not turn 19 until May; however, the England U21 international is highly sought after by a number of clubs despite Fulham’s poor season.
The Whites’ form this campaign led to an immediate return to England’s second-tier after earning promotion via the play-offs last year.
Fulham are keen to retain Sessegnon, hoping that he will stay to drive their promotion push in 2019/20. However, the young player’s contract expires next summer and the West London side may choose to cash in on him.
Sessegnon has been a target for many top-flight clubs and his debut season in the top division allowed him to continue impressing. The teenager feels his chances of developing further will be best if he remains in the Premier League.
Fulham are braced to receive offers of £20-25million for the attacker. He would ordinarily cost more, but his contractual situation may allow his price to decrease.
Prospects Abroad
French outfit Paris Saint-Germain remain interested in the teenager according to John Cross of The Mirror, as do Juventus (Spencer Morgan, Mail Online) and Borussia Dortmund (Mike McGrath, The Sun). Foreign clubs could sign the player for a bargain fee of just £500,000 in compensation if he moved abroad next summer, at the end of his current Fulham contract.
It is believed that Sessegnon thinks Spurs will develop him most and therefore wants to stay in England.
The London club’s boss, Mauricio Pochettino, has been influential in the development of a number of players, notably Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Harry Winks – all of whom have broken into the senior England team since Pochettino’s arrival in 2014.
Sessegnon registered seven assists this season and showed his versatility by starring in numerous positions under former bosses Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri.
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