Fulham new-boy Collins John has revealed that Manchester City had been tracking him for months before he opted to join the West London club.
City were among several other clubs who were interested the services of the 18-year-old, including Dutch outfits Ajax and PSV, before the striker decided to sign for Fulham as Chris Coleman looked to plug the gap left by the departure of Louis Saha to Manchester United.
In the end what swayed the former FC Twente forward’s decision was Cottagers goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
John revealed how his fellow Dutchman convinced him that Fulham were the right club for him, and how the Cottagers’ better league showing compared to City’s stuttering campaign influenced his decision.
John said: “Manchester City had wanted me for a couple of months – I knew that.
“And I also knew that Ajax and PSV were interested, but I think that was dependent on other strikers moving on from those two clubs.
“I just had a good feeling about Fulham. Manchester City are much lower in the league and Fulham are doing very well this season.
“And also Edwin called me about two or three times and told me about Fulham and what a good club it was and that really helped.
“It’s good that there are a couple of Dutch players here – it’s helped me settle in.”
