Frederic Guilbert is enjoying his football again on loan at Strasbourg this season from Aston Villa but things could have panned out very differently, with the 26-year-old revealing to Alsa Sports that he snubbed the chance to move to Fulham over the course of the summer transfer window.

The Frenchman has gotten off to a good start at his new team, featuring in eight games for the side so far and bagging an assist along the way from his role on the right hand side of the pitch.

Having joined Aston Villa back in June 2019, he failed to feature much for the Premier League side and has since spent more time out on loan to get regular action.

However, there was a chance for Guilbert to try his luck in England on a frequent basis at Fulham according to the player, with the Championship side lodging a big offer to bring in the defender, as they try to get promotion back into the top flight of English football.

 

 

Ultimately, the 26-year-old decided to return to his native country for another loan stint - but things could have worked out very differently for him this campaign had he not rejected the Cottagers.

Speaking to Alsa Sports about it, he said: "Just before signing in Alsace, Fulham presented an offer that was difficult to refuse. I made the choice to accept Strasbourg (but), on my way to Strasbourg, Fulham gave me a new offer, even bigger.

“But, in my head, I was already at Strasbourg and I decided to maintain this course."

The defender then stuck with his guns and made his return to France, where he has since managed to make another instant impact with Strasbourg. It's a case then of what could have been with the player and Fulham and who knows what kind of mark he would have made on the Cottagers side by now if he had chosen to make the move to the Championship instead.

The Verdict

Frederic Guilbert is not a bad player by any means and it is no surprise that Fulham were interested in his services over the summer.

He has since gone on to play some solid football in his native country, so the Cottagers may be kicking themselves that they couldn't wrap up a deal for the player.

However, the club are still doing just fine without him and it will always just be a case of what might have been for the two parties. He may have only been sat on the sidelines or he may have been a star player but with him choosing Strasbourg over Craven Cottage, we will never know.