One of the most active Premier League teams in the 2018 summer transfer window strikes again.
Fulham has announced the signing of young Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson for an undisclosed fee reported to be about $19 million. The 23-year-old has not been called up to the England international squad but is considered to be in the fold over the past few years, having made appearances for the England U-21 squad in the past.
[ MORE: Thursday’s Transfer Rumor Roundup ]
Mawson, who came through the Brentford youth system before moving to Swansea City two summers ago, made 65 league appearances for Swansea over the past two years, including last season when he played every minute of all 38 Premier League games for the Swans who were relegated with an 18th placed finish.
“I’m really happy to get this over the line and join Fulham,” Mawson said in the official club release. “I’m excited by the project going on here and the football being played last season was lovely on the eye but also effective and I can’t wait to be a part of it and get going. ”
We’re still not sure how they didn’t go with the hashtag #Mawsome, but we’ll let it slide. This time.
“I’m pleased to announce that Fulham Football Club has signed Alfie Mawson!” said recruitment chair Tony Khan, son of owner Shahid Khan. “Alfie is an exciting young player with a strong future at a position of major importance to our club. Alfie is also very highly regarded by our scouting department and our data analysts, giving us great confidence in our back line as we prepare long term for Premier League competition.”
With Tony Khan at the helm, the Cottagers have spent a surprising amount of money this summer, but have also been praised for their intelligent buys. They broke their transfer record to bring in midfield passing wizard Jean-Michael Seri from French club Nice, with top clubs such as AC Milan on his heels. They secured striker Aleksandar Mitrovic on a permanent basis for a hefty fee, and brought in former Chelsea attacker Andre Schurrle in on a two-year loan, almost unheard of for a player in his prime.
The Whites may not be done, either. They’re rumored to be after a left-back – with no one natural in that position currently on the roster – in particular Southampton’s Matt Targett who impressed last season on loan with Fulham and has had a solid preseason.
