It seems Fulham defender Joachim Anderson has been quite busy speaking to the French media in the past couple of days.
On Thursday, we had already covered a chat he had with Lyon local newspaper Le Progrès, where he spoke about his transfer from the Ligue 1 side this summer.
Andersen joined Fulham on a loan move, and besides being quick at finding a place in Scott Parker’s side, he also captained the team in their last two Premier League matches.
Now in an interview with Foot Mercato, the defender opened up a little more on his reasons to leave Lyon, claiming he didn’t have enough playing time at the club.
“Like I said, I want to play every game and I want to play an important role. After the coronavirus break, I wasn’t playing enough and asked the coach how he saw me in the pecking order,” Joachim Andersen told Foot Mercato.
“He couldn’t assure me that I would be regularly in the eleven, which I respect. Therefore, I was very happy that they let me go to Fulham. I had very good discussions with Scott Parker who considered me an important player, and here I am today.”
The player has also responded to the rumours of a move to Italy, where it was claimed he could join Torino this summer.
“I had some very interesting opportunities with big clubs from the three biggest leagues in Europe. I don’t want to discuss the details, but in the final days of the transfer window, everything becomes a puzzle. There are personal, economic and sporting interests to consider at the same time and at the end of the day, Fulham ticked all the boxes. So far, nothing has proven me wrong.
“There are so many details to consider. Before I made up my mind, I spoke with Kenny Tete, who was really happy with the club and the manager. After my discussions with Scott Parker, my agent and my family, I made the decision.”
But despite sounding very happy that he chose Fulham, Andersen can’t give any guarantees that he’ll be staying at the Premier League side after the end of the loan spell.
He actually plans to return to Lyon.
“It’s too early to start discussions on this subject. My goal is to have a good season with Fulham and help them stay in the Premier League. Then this summer we will see my situation in Lyon.
“Although there have been a lot of changes in the squad, I still have a lot of teammates in Lyon and I hope for the best for the club. It’s still my plan to go back to Lyon.”
