Fulham are set to capture West Ham’s Bobby Zamora and John Paintsil in a combined deal. It is reported that both players are surplus to requirements at Upton Park and that a fee has been a agreed between the clubs. Surprisingly the figure being suggested is a staggering £6.5 million [source].
While Fulham appear to be paying through the nose, the deal may well be a good one for fantasy managers.
A statement on West Ham’s website has no mention of such a fee but does confirm that permission has been given for both players to talk to Fulham. According to West Ham’s CEO Scott Duxbury…
“They want to play regular first-team football and we have given permission for them to speak to Fulham with a view to concluding a move.”
A deal looks likely then with Zamora clearly earmarked as the successor to club skipper Brian McBride, while Paintsil will offer Fulham boss Hodgeson an alternative at right-back, although the Ghana international can also play in midfield. He has made just 19 appearances for the Hammers in two seasons while Zamora has had more opportunities but has displayed patchy form since his move from Spurs in 2004.
The striker scored just a single goal and registered 2 assists in 11 starts last season but did enjoy periods of success in 2006-07 – a season that saw him notch 11 goals and 4 assists in 27 starts. Those kind of stats hint at some potential and, given that Zamora would seemingly be set for a full season of 30+ barring injury at Fulham, he could be worth considering. That’s particularly true when you examine his price.
In the Fantasy Premier League Zamora comes in at just 5.5. That puts him in the same bracket as Sunderland’s Chopra and Murphy. Arsenal’s Bendtner and Blackburn’s Derbyshire are also priced at the same level and may well be better players but neither seems likely to get as many starts as Zamora at his new club. It’s a similar story in the Telegraph game in which Zamora is priced at £4.8. He’s certainly not the cheapest option but looking at what is available for similar or less, he actually looks a decent prospect.
Bizarrely then, Fulham may be set to overspend on the Hammers striker but in doing so, us fantasy managers could be presented with an unlikely bargain.