West Ham United have signed Ryan Fredericks from Fulham.
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble has told the club’s official website that he would have signed new boy Ryan Fredericks last summer rather than now.
The Hammers have been active in the transfer market this summer, and whilst reports suggest that moves for Fabian Balbuena, Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko are in the pipeline, three new faces have already arrived.
Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has arrived, as has centre back Issa Diop, with right back Ryan Fredericks arriving from London rivals Fulham on a free transfer.
Fredericks, 25, came up through the ranks with Tottenham but established himself as a Championship star with the Cottagers, registering seven assists over the course of last season.
Quick and attack-minded, Fredericks starred under Slavisa Jokanovic last term, and whilst he helped Fulham win promotion to the Premier League, he decided to move on at the end of his contract this summer.
West Ham landed a bargain by signing Fredericks on a free transfer, and he will now compete for a starting role under Manuel Pellegrini, vying with his former Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta.
Fredericks has now started his West Ham career, and West Ham captain Noble has told the club’s official website that he was so impressed with the right back’s performances in the second tier that he would have actually signed Fredericks last summer rather than waiting until now – but the main thing is that West Ham have him now.
“Ryan has just won the Play-Off final. What a fantastic achievement that was for him,” said Noble. “As you see, a player who has gone into the Premier League with Fulham has come to West Ham because he believes we can push on and do stuff.”
“For his pace down the right, I’m not saying I’m a genius but I’d have signed him a year ago because I watched a lot of him in the Championship, but we’ve got him now and that’s a massive asset to us,” he added.
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