Fulham have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Fernando Amorebieta.
The Venezuelan international is in the final year of his contract at Athletic Bilbao, and earlier this season angered the Spaniards by refusing their offer of a fresh deal. Instead, the 28-year-old is thought to be keen on a move to England, where he has in the past been linked with Arsenal.
And whilst it looks as though Amorebieta will get his move to London in the summer, it seems he will be pitching up at Craven Cottage and not the Emirates Stadium. According to Basque publication Voz Populi, the central defender has reached an agreement with Martin Jol’s side and will join on a Bosman free transfer when the window reopens on 1 July.
Such is the desire of the 6ft 4in player to make the move to the capital, it has been claimed that his salary with the Cottagers will be significantly lower than the €1.8million previously offered by Athletic. However, it has also been suggested that these terms were withdrawn by his current employers when he refused to sign the deal within a specified timeframe.
If Amorebieta has indeed agreed to join Fulham, it will be another defensive boost for Jol ahead of next season. Last month, Brede Hangeland, the Norway international, ended all doubts over his future by signing a new deal which is designed to keep him at the club until 2015.
The 31-year-old has been a rock in the back four since his arrival in January 2008, but until he penned his new deal, he was set to become a free agent during the summer. Yet the captain insists that he has never considered leaving the club despite speculation to the contrary.
“I’m certainly really happy to have signed,” Hangeland told the official club website. “I’ve loved my time with Fulham. It’s been a little over five years and I’ve felt right at home from the very first game. I couldn’t really see myself leaving, so to finally have signed gives me a great feeling.”
