Fulham have confirmed the signing of Leyton Orient defender Gabriel Zakuani subject to a medical.
Zakuani, who helped Orient win promotion from League Two last season, starred as the O’s knocked Fulham out of the FA Cup at the third round stage in January and Fulham had been locked in negotiations lasting a couple of months with the Brisbane Road side to finalise a deal. The 20 year-old centre back, who attracted interested from a number of Premiership clubs, made his Orient debut at 16 and established himself as a regular in Martin Ling’s defence, making 98 appearances in total.
Fulham manager Chris Coleman, who has been targeting central defensive reinforcements this summer, said: ‘I’m very happy that Gabriel has joined us this season; he is a really bright prospect for the future and one that I have been keeping my eye on over the last couple of seasons. He has great maturity for his age and I believe that over time he will establish himself as a formidable force at the back. We managed to beat off considerable competition in the race for Gabriel’s signature, so I’m delighted that he has chosen to commit his future to Fulham for the long term.’
DR Congo international Zakuani, who has signed a four year contract at Craven Cottage added: ‘Joining Fulham is a great move for me and I’m looking forward to joining the squad in Devon for the first pre-season training camp. Everyone at the Club has been really welcoming and Chris Coleman has talked to me about the Club’s plans for the future, which is all positive so I’m happy to be a part of that. I had a great time with Orient and would like to thank all the fans for making my time there so special, and now I just want to prove myself to the Fulham fans in the same way.’
