The Club is delighted to announce the signing of Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
The goalkeeper will remain at Craven Cottage for the duration of the 2020/21 season, with Fulham holding an option to make the move permanent.
After the deal was finalised, Areola told FFCtv: “I am very happy everything is done. Scott Parker called me and I had a good feeling. He said he really wanted me.
“Fulham is a historic club in London and I have heard a lot about the stadium.
“I hope this season will be a good one for us. I want to bring my energy and do everything for this team to keep us where we belong to be.”
Tony Khan added: “I’m thrilled to welcome Alphonse Areola to our Fulham family! Alphonse has experience at the very highest level, as he’s played in France’s national team, won the league title with PSG, had success at RC Lens, Bastia and with Villarreal, and most recently he played for Real Madrid as they won La Liga last season.
“We’re excited that he’s joining us, and he’ll be an excellent addition to our squad as for our Premier League campaign ahead! Come on Fulham!”
The 27-year-old arrives in SW6 with an enviable CV having won the World Cup with France two years ago, while he has also won domestic titles both in his homeland and Spain.
Born in Paris, Areola was signed by PSG at a young age, before spending time at the illustrious Clairefontaine football centre.
He made his senior debut for the club in their 2012/13 title winning season, in a side which featured the likes of David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Areola spent the subsequent three seasons out on loan, enjoying success with each team that he represented.
First he helped Lens win promotion from Ligue 2 and was subsequently named as the division’s best goalkeeper, before seeing Bastia to a respectable mid-table finish in Ligue 1 and a runner-up spot in the French equivalent of the League Cup.
2015/16 saw Areola move to Spain where he played a significant role in what was a fantastic year for Villarreal. In addition to finishing fourth in La Liga, they also reached the Semi-Final of the UEFA Europa League.
That form saw him return to Paris, where he soon established himself as the club’s first choice goalkeeper, going on to add two more Ligue 1 winner’s medals to his collection in 2018 and 2019.
He started last season as PSG’s first choice, before the arrival of Keylor Navas saw him move to Real Madrid on loan as part of the deal. He featured nine times during his spell at the Bernabeu, as Real won La Liga for the first time in three years.
Having represented France at every age group – during which time he collected an Under-20 World Cup winner’s medal – Areola made his debut for the senior side in 2018 and now has three caps to his name.
He was also a member of Les Bleus squad which was triumphant at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Areola's honours list:
4 x Ligue 1
1 x La Liga
2 x French Supercup
2 x League Cup
2 x French Cup
1 x Spanish Supercup
1 x World Cup
1 x Under-20 World Cup