Fulham beat Tottenham to signing of £11m FC Twente forward

Fulham manager Martin Jol is about to make his mark on the club with the signing of FC Twente’s Bryan Ruiz.

The Costa Rican had a £13.75m release clause written into his contract but Fulham and Twente have agreed on a fee of £10.6m and earlier in the month Ruiz had suggested that Fulham was a club he was very interested in joining.

“Fulham is a serious option for me,” said Ruiz. “Fulham already contacted my agent. If Fulham does become serious, we will definitely talk.”

That was a couple of weeks ago and having agreed a fee yesterday evening, Fulham can be confident of competing the deal today.

Ruiz will become the seventh signing for Fulham in this summer transfer window but will be the first marquee signing and the Costa Rican international becomes Fulham’s most expensive signing since Andy Johnson in 2008.

It’s a big move from Jol who will have endeared himself to the Fulham faithful with this signing, and the fact that Tottenham Hotspur were also interested in the Twente player will be a big boost to the confidence at Craven Cottage.

Ruiz made a huge mark on the Eredivisie two seasons ago when he scored 24 goals in 34 appearances, including a 10-match goalscoring streak as Twente lifted the league title.

He became a fans favourite at the start of last season when he declined a move to a number of Europe’s top clubs but was hit by injuries, scoring nine goals in 24 matches.

Jol is chasing a European finish this season and also wants to see the club go far in the Europa League.

Primarily played as a winger, Ruiz’s ability to chip in with goals will be a huge benefit to a Fulham side that can boast just three strikers in Bobby Zamora, Andy Johnson and Mouassa Dembele.

With Clint Dempsey’s future at Craven Cottage unsure, Jol has moved quickly to bring in another attacking signing and Ruiz is a very exciting transfer for Fulham.