UK Edition
Ryan Sessegnon ends Manchester United and Liverpool interest by signing new Fulham contract
Fulham have secured the future of their teenage prodigy Ryan Sessegnon on a three-year contract, as well as his twin brother Steven, ending the hopes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in signing him in the immediate future.
Ryan was a first team regular at Fulham last season despite only turning 17 on May 18 this year, the earliest point at which he could sign a professional deal with the club. The teenager had a deal pre-agreed from the previous summer but his breakthrough season changed everything and there was interest from across the Premier League’s leading clubs.
Manchester United were particularly interested in the left sided player who can operate at full-back and in midfield. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur also expressed an interest in signing the player who was part of the Fulham team that lost out to Reading in the Championship play-offs semi-final.
The teenager’s new deal has put an end to any chance of a move this summer and Ryan will play another season in the Championship with Fulham.
The likelihood is that the player has received assurances he will be able to move on next summer if the offers are there and Fulham do not gain promotion to the Premier League, although there is no buy-out clause in his contract.
His brother Steven is yet to make his first team debut but is well thought of at the club having just recovered from a long-term injury. Both boys, who come from Roehampton in south-west London, have come through the Fulham academy system which has discovered and developed some fine talents in recent years, including Patrick Roberts, who was on loan at Celtic from Manchester City last season.
Having not previously secured Ryan on a three-year professional deal, the maximum he could sign at his age, Fulham risked losing the player for training compensation – in his case likely to be around £3 million. Ryan has been selected to play for the England Under-19s at the European championships in Georgia this month.
Slavisa Jokanovic praised the teenager’s “loyalty and commitment” in resisting offers from bigger clubs. The reality is that Fulham flatly refused to sell the player and they have adopted a similar stance with Tom Cairney, their Scotland international midfielder who is the subject of interest from a number of clubs.
In Ryan Sessegnon’s case there was never great pressure from the player to leave the club, which is now run by Tony Khan, vice-chairman and director of football operations. Tony, son of billionaire owner Shahid, said that keeping the teenager proved the Khans’ commitment to Fulham was “absolute”.
Ryan said: “I’m excited to see what’s in front of me at this club, hopefully we can all push on now. Last year I got a lot of opportunities from the gaffer, and I just want to continue that.”