Leicester City confirm first summer signing with free transfer acquisition
Attacker Bobby De Cordova-Reid signs on a free transfer from Fulham, marking the first addition to King Power Stadium under new manager Steve Cooper.
Leicester City have secured their first signing of the summer, confirming the arrival of Bobby De Cordova-Reid on a free transfer from Fulham.
The Jamaican attacker has inked a three-year deal with City, becoming the inaugural addition under new manager Steve Cooper. With five years at Craven Cottage, including three in the Premier League, De Cordova-Reid brings a wealth of experience to the City squad as they gear up for their return to the top flight.
Renowned for his reliability and knack for scoring crucial goals at Fulham, De Cordova-Reid offers Cooper a versatile attacking option. The 31-year-old can play on the wing, in attacking midfield, or as a forward, and even filled in at right-back for a couple of games last season.
In the previous season, he netted six goals and provided two assists in 33 Premier League appearances, averaging a goal contribution every 177 minutes based on his playing time.
As part of the player leadership group at Fulham, the club was keen to retain him and had proposed a two-year extension. Manager Marco Silva stated in March: “Our ambition, and what we want, is to have him with us again next season.”
However, City’s three-year offer outshone Fulham’s proposal, leading De Cordova-Reid to make the move to King Power Stadium. He will not join pre-season training immediately, as he has been granted extra time off following his participation in the Copa America, where he played in two of Jamaica’s three group-stage matches against Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
De Cordova-Reid’s signing is expected to be the first of several new arrivals at City in the coming week. The club is set to finalize the permanent signing of Abdul Fatawu from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth approximately £14 million, while teenage midfielder Michael Golding is poised to join from Chelsea in a £5 million move. Additionally, there are widespread reports in Italy of a £13 million agreement with Atalanta for center-back Caleb Okoli.
