Huddersfield Town manager Danny Cowley has commented on the departure of Dutch defender Terence Kongolo, who has joined Fulham until the end of the season.
The Terriers came down for the Premier League this season with a bunch of players still suffering from the hangover of their ill-fated top-flight campaign last term, one of those being defender Terence Kongolo, who arrived last season from Feyenoord.
This season hasn’t been much kinder for the versatile defender as he has struggled for consistency in the side with irregular outings stemming from below-par performances along with injury issues.
The January transfer window has given Danny Cowley the chance to trim and strengthen his squad ahead of a relegation battle for the second half of the campaign, and Kongolo was one player that’s future needed resolving this month.
Yesterday, it was confirmed that the 25-year-old was to join the Cottagers on-loan for the rest of the season, potentially putting an end to his pretty torrid spell at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Speaking ahead of the Terriers’ clash with Brentford on Saturday, manager Danny Cowley commented on Kongolo’s departure and how the player’s current career path is going. He stated (as quoted by Leon Wobschall): "We were pleased with the deal and finances associated with it. If Terence's head and heart are in the right place, he can be a top player.”
Kongolo will now linkup with his new teammates to help push for success at the other end of the table to where Huddersfield are battling.
Can you name Huddersfield's lineup from the play-off final win in 2017?
The verdict
In terms of outgoings at Huddersfield, shifting Kongolo out of the club this month should have been the top priority given that he was the club’s record signing and presumably on a significant wage that can now be redistributed or saved.
There is no doubting that he has the ability to play higher than the Championship, having featured in the Champions League with Feyenoord, but as Cowley says, his attitude and focus need to be spot on going forward.