For young talents, the leap abroad is often an opportunity – but sometimes it ends in a dead end, as seems to be the case with Swedish striker Jonah Kusi-Asare.
Since his transfer to Fulham FC, the 18-year-old has had almost no game time at all. He was only substituted shortly before the end of the 2-1 defeat against Newcastle. In the games that followed, he was only in the squad twice – most recently he even missed three games completely.
According to Fulham coach Marco Silva, the main problem is his lack of experience: „When we signed him, we saw certain things in him. He has skills that are important for a striker. I know he comes from a big club [Bayern], but he didn’t play enough in the men’s game before he came to us.“
Silva added: „When he arrived, it was the moment for us to get to know him and assess his current level. When you make decisions, you don’t do it because of a name, but because you compare the player with others. I think you can draw your conclusions from that. If he’s not playing at the moment, it means he’s not ready yet.“
Bayern plan with loan model probably won’t work out
The loan to England had originally looked promising. Kusi-Asare had moved to London on deadline day in an unusual model. As the Times reported, Fulham initially paid a loan fee of three million euros – but this could have been reduced to zero, depending on playing time in the Premier League. There is also a purchase option for twelve million euros, while FC Bayern secured a buy-back clause.
Prior to the final transfer, the record champions had extended the contract with the attacker on a long-term basis in order to retain control over his development. The idea: Fulham would test the talent without taking any major risks, while Bayern would be able to take another chance if he made a breakthrough. However, after just one brief appearance in nine possible Premier League games, it is clear that the plan has not worked out so far.
Munich certainly see Kusi-Asare as a player for the future, but it was not enough to provide immediate help in the current season. The signing of Nicolas Jackson had filled the place behind Harry Kane, and the Swede would probably have remained a mere spectator. The Premier League loan was supposed to provide a valuable development phase, but as things stand, the stint in England threatens to be a step backwards.
