Joachim Andersen to Fulham: Athletic 500 transfer ratings

Fulham have signed Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace on a five-year deal, with the option of a further year. The contract is worth £30m, including bonuses.

Our writers – experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance – have come together to assess this summer’s Premier League transfers across five categories, with each aspect scored out of 100, to reach an overall score out of 500. So, The Athletic 500The assessments are explained in more detail here (not all transfers are assessed as there may be a lack of data to support an analysis).

Below you will find our review for this move.

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Tactical fit — 78/100

A look at how the player fits tactically at his new club, using Sentient Sports’ bespoke tactical fit model, explained by our tactical expert.

Andersen is an imposing figure (6ft 4in), who combines height and strength with excellent balance. His defensive stats give us a glimpse of his solidity at right-back. He averages 5.4 clearances per 90 minutes, which places him in the 99th percentile of his position mates in the top five leagues.

His dedication to tackling and confronting dribblers is evident in his 73 percent tackled dribblers per 90, which puts him in the 88th percentile, ahead of his new rival for the starting spot, Calvin Bassey, who wins 72 percent.

In this match against Burnley in November 2023, Andersen anticipates Sander Berge’s through ball to Nathan Redmond. He quickly steps in and clears to prevent a scoring chance.

Andersen’s passing is similar to that of a central midfielder. He averages 4.4 final third passes per 90 minutes (81st percentile) and 0.8 switches (89th percentile), which allows him to convert the play and find teammates in advantageous positions. His former teammates, such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, benefited from this as Andersen was able to find them between the defensive lines during his time at Palace.

In this match against Nottingham Forest in October 2023, Andersen shows his passing ability, keeping his head high and playing a lofted switch pass to the advancing wing-back, Tyrick Mitchell.

However, he sometimes follows his marked player too closely, which creates gaps in the defensive line that opponents can exploit. Furthermore, if he marks too closely, attackers can turn and advance on goal, which can be problematic for the defense.

As evidenced in this 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in January, Andersen holds off Martin Odegaard. However, he fails to stop him or commit a foul, allowing Odegaard to pass to Oleksandr Zinchenko, who then plays the ball to Gabriel Martinelli as he drives into the space Andersen has vacated.

Under Marco Silva, Andersen is likely to take on the role of a progressive, ball-playing centre-back, complementing fellow defender Issa Diop, who displays a more aggressive style when carrying the ball forward. This partnership will allow Andersen to utilise his high tackle ratio while covering Diop’s forward runs.

Fulham are also considering a move to a three-man defence, with Andersen playing the central centre-back role. This would suit his passing style and allow him to cover the entire pitch and distribute to wing-backs such as Antonee Robinson. His ability to switch play will be important in stretching the opposition and creating space.

Andersen’s tactical fit at Fulham is rated at 78. This score reflects his compatibility with the team’s playing style and his previous experience in formations similar to Fulham’s favoured 4-2-3-1.

Gillian Kasirye

Season rating: 67/100

Rate the player over the past season, using statistics from The Athletics‘S data team.

The Danish international enjoyed a good season and developed a strong partnership with Marc Guehi, but had to adapt during Guehi’s three-month absence due to a knee injury. Despite this, he produced a top performance and finished the season as the Premier League leader in clearances, with 229.

Andersen was a constant presence in all 38 league games during the season, making his 100th appearance for the club with a clean sheet in a convincing 3–0 win over Burnley in February 2024. His consistency and leadership on the pitch did not go unnoticed as he was voted Players’ Player of the Season, an honour he shared with Jean-Philippe Mateta.

With his move to Fulham, Andersen brings not only his experience, but also the experience he gained on loan in the 2020-2021 season.

Gillian Kasirye

Gaming Rating: 75/100

Rate the player based on Football Manager 2024 data at both current and potential level.

Andersen is an experienced defender with over 130 Premier League games to his name and is rightly regarded by Football Manager as a quality central defender.

The Dane, who has also featured in the Eredivisie, Serie A and Ligue 1, is currently rated 147 out of 200 by FM24’s extensive scouting database. Andersen’s rating is slightly lower than that of his former partner in crime at Crystal Palace, Marc Guehi (151), but higher than Fulham’s existing centre-back trio of Issa Diop (134), Calvin Bassey (135) and summer signing Jorge Cuenca (140).

At 28, Andersen is also in the midst of his peak and FM’s data suggests he still has room to improve. He has a potential ability rating of 151, which is higher than Diop (135) and Bassey (144), but lower than the 24-year-old duo of Cuenca (161) and Guehi (168).

All in all, Andersen is a valuable addition for Fulham, who lost Tosin Adarabioyo and Tim Ream this summer.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Financial Value Rating: 57/100

A four-category summary of the player’s transfer in financial terms – and whether it makes sense for his new club

Market Value — 17/25

This isn’t a cheap deal for Fulham, but Andersen played every league game for Crystal Palace last season and, at 28, is in his prime. With that in mind, the fee is probably what is required to land a rival’s most important player.

Squad Costs — 13/25

This transfer is almost a club record transfer for Fulham. They also spent big on Sander Berge and Emile Smith Rowe. It is a big chunk of Fulham’s budget, although they did sell Joao Palhinha for €51m (potentially rising to €56m) and sold on his wages, and Willian’s, to create some space.

Contract sensitivity — 16/25

Andersen’s five-year deal runs until he is 33, so it covers his prime years for a centre-back. The terms allow Fulham to spread the cost of the deal over five years. This could be the best contract of Andersen’s career, given his age, so he will be one of the club’s highest earners. It is said to have been a factor in persuading him to leave Palace. Not cheap, but it is the price of a ready-made option.

Resale Value — 11/25

With a high fee, it is unlikely that Fulham will sell Andersen for a profit at this point in his career, although they did make a large profit on Palhinha after two seasons. This deal is clearly not signed with a future sale in mind. It is about immediate impact. But it does bring down his resale value.

Peter Rutzler

Risk or reward? 79/100

Is there a history of injuries or other issues that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come away with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look.

Andersen returns to Fulham, where he spent a season on loan during the 2020-21 campaign, so while there will be some new team-mates and a new head coach, he will be in familiar surroundings at Craven Cottage.

He doesn’t have to turn his life upside down, as Selhurst Park is just eight miles from the Cottage. He’s also familiar with the Premier League, having spent four full seasons in England, and he’ll go straight to this Fulham team. Marco Silva has been looking for a playing, right-wing centre-back to replace Adarabioyo, and Andersen fits the bill.

His injury record is also clean, with no major setbacks. He has made 136 Premier League appearances since 2020. The biggest risk factor with this deal is the cost. It’s a big investment for a club like Fulham, so if it goes wrong, the impact will be felt. But as long as Andersen plays and proves his worth over the life of his contract, it will be seen as money well spent.

Peter Rutzler

Overall rating: 356/500

(Photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)