Alphonse Areola delighted to be at Fulham after ten days of phone calls with Scott Parker sealed deal

New recruit: Alphonse Areola
REUTERS
Jack Rosser @JackRosser_10 September 2020

Alphonse Areola has revealed his delight at finally signing for a London club, having bought a house in the capital last year.

The new Fulham goalkeeper, who has joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain with an option to buy at the end of the season, was also offered to Arsenal before signing at Craven Cottage.

Over 10 days the Cottagers courted the World Cup winner, with Scott Parker holding detailed phone calls in order to sway him to west London.

Now settled in London, Areola is hoping the positive atmosphere can help him kick on in the Premier League.

"It is not a secret that I bought a house here in London last year so we are very happy to finally live in London," he told the club website. "It is one city that we love with my wife and daughters - they speak better English than me having gone to a British school. We have family here so to enjoy football the good thing is to have a good atmosphere around us and be happy, be happy and give a good performance."

Areola will compete with 23-year-old Marek Rodak, who excelled having been thrown in by Parker last season, for the No1 spot this season and says conversations with the manager convinced him to sign.

He said: "Scott Parker called me and I had a good feeling, we continued to speak for ten days or something like that and I made my decision.

"He talked to me and said to me that he really wanted me, I felt a great energy and good feeling so for me the most important thing is the relationship you have with the coach."

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