Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico is poised to join Fulham on a season-long loan deal tomorrow, according to reports in the Spanish press.
Rico, who has won two Europa League titles with Sevilla, is set to leave the Spanish side after they completed the capture of Tomas Vaclik from Basel. The 24 year-old goalkeeper, who has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool and Chelsea among others in the past year, has made more than 100 appearances for Sevilla since coming through their academy and was the Andalusian side’s number one last season.
Spanish sports newspaper AS says Sevilla are happy to let the fan favourite leave, although there is no option to buy in the proposed deal. Rico’s arrival would make him the second Spanish goalkeeper that Fulham have bought during the transfer window, after the Whites signed Fabri from Besiktas for £5m earlier this summer. What this surprise move might mean for Marcus Bettinelli, who was Fulham’s first choice goalkeeper as they won promotion back to the Premier League last season, remains to be seen. The Fulham academy graduate is currently injured, but looked likely to play second fiddle to Fabri in the early part of the season in any case.
Rico, widely regarded as one of Europe’s most promising young goalkeepers, has a single cap for Spain, which came in a friendly win over South Korea back in 2016.
