Matt O’Riley has decided to stay with Fulham until the end of his contract rather than seek a move elsewhere this summer, according to reports this afternoon.
The talented central midfielder, who is highly regarded as one of the best prospects to come through the club’s academy in recent years, has been watched by scouts from a number of leading English and European clubs over the course of the last year in the expectation that he would move away from Craven Cottage to seek more frequent first team football.
The 18 year-old starred for Fulham’s under 23 side for much of last season but his only appearance for the senior side came as a late substitute in a League Cup second round win at Millwall in September. O’Riley is understood to be eager to learn from Fulham boss Scott Parker, who included him in the squad for the club’s first pre-season friendly against Cambridge United on Saturday, and will see out his current contract, which expires next summer.
O’Riley will hope to force his way into Parker’s Championship plans for the forthcoming season. The England youth international has made seven first-team appearances for the Whites since being handed his debut by Slavisa Jokanovic in Fulham’s League Cup win at Wycombe Wanderers in August 2017. He has been linked with the links of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool in the past. O’Riley’s decision will come as a major boost to Fulham, who are widely expected to lose other highly-regarded youngsters like Ryan Sessegnon and Harvey Elliott this summer.
Should have been given more game time last season, lets hope Khans
puppet SP realises what a gem we have got.
He is the best youth player we have..we must get him in the first team as it would be a disgrace to lose him…
Good lad were Fulham till we die were Fulham till we die we know we are were sure we are were Fulham till we die COME ON YOU WHITES!!!!!
Good on him. I think ryan and harvey should have stayed, because they would have got playing time at fulham but now Elliott and sessignon will sit in the reserves with no chance of breaking into liverpool or spurs teams. Good on cairney and mitro. They know that they can form the backbone of a better fulham team who will get back to premiership and stay next time. Harvey and Ryan could have been part of a great team with the team spirit like under tigana, keegan and hodgson but now im sure they may have more money but will miss going down in fulham folklore idolised by the supporters. I can see parker will bring great times back to fulham.
Can’t say I’m bothered, for this season at least. Generally I do prefer kids to stay instead of going somewhere they won’t get a chance, but I’ve seen O’Riley be given opportunities to step up a couple of times, he hasn’t been good enough. Couldn’t keep up with play, offered nothing. Happy for him to stay on the books, so long as we’re going to loan him out to somewhere he’ll play every week. Maybe regular first team football is what he needs to get up to speed with the professional game. We’re not going to have the capacity to give that to him this season if we’re genuinely going to immediate promotion.