Chelsea have confirmed on their official website that they have decided to sell their Jamaican centre-half Michael Hector for an undisclosed fee to Fulham when the transfer window reopens in January. In an interview with Fulham’s official website, Hector revealed that he is looking forward to the new challenge at Craven Cottage and said,
“It was an easy decision to make. My Mum is from Fulham, so it’s nice to join a club that some of my family support.
“It’s good to now be a part of the set-up here. Hopefully things can work out well and we can get promoted. I know how tough the Championship is and it won’t be any different for us.
“We’ll have to work hard for it but the squad is very good and my job will be to help them push for promotion.”
The Story Of Michael Hector In English Football
The Jamaican defender is a Reading academy graduate who came through the youth ranks of the Royals before going on to have numerous loan spells in the lower divisions of English football. The Pensioners decided to bring Hector to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2015. However, he was immediately loaned back to the Madejski Stadium to earn more first-team experience.
Upon his return, the London-born prospect failed to impress and had to experience loans spells with Eintracht Frankfurt, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday. He never got a chance to make an appearance for Chelsea, which is a shame considering he was born and brought up at West London.
However, Hector’s move to Fulham in January could be an ideal opportunity for him to get his career back on track in English football. The Pensioners are better off selling him in January as they can now use the money generated from his sale to get in other recruits when their transfer ban is over.
Hector’s Memorable Loan Spell At Sheffield Wednesday Last Season
Hector enjoyed a brilliant spell at Sheffield Wednesday last season when he featured in 39 matches for them while scoring two goals on all fronts. On the defensive end, the Jamaican prospect made an average of 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 5.4 clearances per game in the EFL Championship (stats via whoscored).
His incredible contributions for the Owls did not go unnoticed as the club named him their player of the season in the previous term. Hector is a menacing presence inside his own half and can be a capable defender at the back. He can win a lot of aerial duels and is known for making some vital interceptions for his side.
Chelsea’s Decision To Sell Hector To Fulham: Good Move For All Parties?
However, he is not good enough to play in the English top-flight, so his future move to join the Cottagers will be a welcome one for all parties as he will be able to establish himself in the Fulham first-team and help them compete for a promotion spot in the second half of this campaign. Therefore, Hector’s switch to Craven Cottage in January could turn out to be a deal that benefits everyone involved.
