Four-and-a-half hours after the transfer window closed, Terence Kongolo's expected move from Huddersfield Town to Fulham finally went through.
The left-sided central defender rejoins the Cottagers for an undisclosed fee expected to start at £4m, with the potential to rise to £7m.
Kongolo initially joined on loan from Monaco in January 2018, a deal made permanent the following summer, but was one of a number of players frozen out by then-manager Danny Cowley following the club's relegation to the Championship.
The 25-year-old was loaned to Fulham this January, but broke his foot on his debut, and has not played since. he was a player Sheffield United enquired about when defender Jack O'Connell underwent knee surgery, but the Blades did not follow up their initial interest. Fulham, however, decided to press ahead.
“Terence has a desire to play in the Premier League and he is a player we knew would have options to do so," explained Huddersfield's head of football operations Leigh Bromby.
“He impressed Scott Parker during his loan spell at Fulham at the end of last season, so we are happy we could come to a deal that made sense for both clubs. In the current window and financial climate, we believe this deal represents good value for the player."
Fulham FC statement
The Club is delighted to announce the return of Terence Kongolo to Fulham on a permanent deal.
The 26-year-old has signed from Huddersfield Town for an undisclosed fee and agreed a contract until the summer of 2024, with a Club option to extend by a further year.
An unfortunate injury in just his second appearance for the Whites curtailed his loan spell last season, but his performance in his one start at Manchester City gave fans a glimpse of his quality.
Speaking to FFCtv after signing, Kongolo said: “I’m really happy. It’s been a while, been waiting the whole day, but the end result is I can play for Fulham! I’m proud to be here, and I will give everything for this Club.”
Tony Khan added: “I’m thrilled to announce the return of Terence Kongolo to Fulham FC on a permanent transfer from Huddersfield Town!
“It’s great to bring back Terence, a gifted defender with Premier League experience whom we know from experience will come in and fight for our Club.
“Terence had joined us on loan in January, but unfortunately for everyone he was injured in a match not long after his arrival and he wasn’t able to finish the season with us.
“Thankfully he’s now made great progress towards his return, and we’re excited to have Terence back on the pitch soon! Come on Fulham!”
Born in Switzerland but raised in the Netherlands, Kongolo has four full Dutch caps to his name, and was part of the squad that came third at the 2014 World Cup, aged just 20.
Primarily a centre-back who can also operate on the left, Kongolo rose through the youth ranks at Feyenoord, and was given an Eredivisie debut by Ronald Koeman in April 2012.
By the 2013/14 season he had established himself as a first choice defender in the Feyenoord backline, with his form earning him a place on the plane to Brazil.
Despite considerable interest in his services, Feyenoord managed to keep hold of Kongolo, and he played a major role in their successes over the next three seasons – most notably winning the KNVB Cup in 2016, and a first Eredivisie title in almost 20 years in 2017.
Kongolo then joined French champions AS Monaco for a reported £13.5m fee, where he was given a first taste of Champions League football.
A move to the Premier League was next, and Kongolo played a key part in helping Huddersfield retain their top-flight status in the second half of the 2017/18 season.
His form convinced the Terriers to make him their club record signing for £18m in the summer, and he departs having made 43 appearances for the West Yorkshire outfit.