David Stockdale managed to keep 21 clean sheets in the Championship for Brighton but departed for Birmingham City in June, leaving fans keen for a new shot stopper. The club wasted no time in smashing the transfer record to sign Valencia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.
The 25 year old goalkeeper, Mathew Ryan, is relatively experienced, having played in Australia, Belgium and Spain, and will be hopeful of filling in the big gloves of David Stockdale.
Fantasy Football Potential
In 2018 World Cup qualification, Ryan played 7 matches, playing 630 minutes and making 17 saves. He faced 1 penalty which he could not save unfortunately, but he did manage to keep 3 clean sheets. In the Europa League, he played 6 matches playing a total of 540 minutes, making 21 saves, keeping 1 clean sheet and saving a penalty.
In La Liga, he turned out twice for Valencia making 5 saves. Ryan has played for prestigious clubs like Genk and Club Brugge in Belgium and Valencia in Spain. He is also Australia’s number one choice while representing his country. Brighton may have just found a gem, of which they need if they wish to rub shoulders with the big boys in the Premier League.
Priced at 4.5m, he may prove to be quite valuable as there is tendency for keepers playing for underdogs to gain bonus points and a number of save points. In recent years, the likes of Tom Heaton and Eldin Jakupovic have proved that you can’t write off a keeper based on the club they play for.
If you have enjoyed this early view of the fantasy potential of those moving teams this transfer window, be sure to check the others here.
Written by Devdeep Duta (@devdeepdcube)
