Fulham have signed Liberian-born striker Collins John from FC Twente, according to the Dutch club.
The 18-year-old agreed to join The Cottagers on Friday in a four-and-a-half-year deal.
 |
| FC Twente striker Collins John |
| Position |
Striker |
| DOB |
17/10/85 |
| P.O.B. |
Liberia |
| Height |
5'10" |
| Club |
FC Twente |
Fulham manager Chris Coleman wants to replace top scorer Louis Saha following his move to Manchester United.
Twente technical director Johan Plageman said: "Looking at the financial situation of FC Twente this transfer is a good thing."
He added: "Playing-wise we regret the departure of Collins but we wish him the best of luck in England.
"We will not say anything about the transfer fee but the figures in the media between five and seven million euros are absolute nonsense.
"The transfer fee is considerably lower."
John was under contract to Twente until 2005 and has impressed with nine goals for the club this season after arriving in Holland as an asylum seeker.
He appears to be a natural replacement for Saha, equipped with pace, strength and good ability on the ball, and was also reported to have been tracked by Manchester City.
Fulham Football Club stated that they have officially completed the signing of striker Collins John from Dutch side FC Twente.
The highly rated 18-year-old was unveiled to the Fulham fans before Saturday's Premiership match against Tottenham Hotspur at Loftus Road.
A quick and powerful forward, John has scored nine goals in 18 appearances for Twente this season and has already featured for the Dutch under 17 side.
Speaking after Saturday's match, Chris Coleman said of his new signing:
"He's going to be a good player in the future. We're not going to ask too much of him too soon and we know that we'll need to protect him.
"We've got three strikers at the Club with a lot of experience in Brian McBride, Barry Hayles and Facundo Sava. With young Collins John in the squad, we've got a bit more strength in depth."