Town have completed the signing of Sunderland keeper Márton Fülöp on a two-year deal. The Hungarian international, who trained with his new team-mates this morning, is understood to have moved for a fee of £750,000.
An international team-mate and close friend of Town striker Tamás Priskin, Fülöp started his career with MTK Hungaria during which time he went on loan to Elöre and Siófok, also in his homeland.
After a three-day trial in July 2004, the 6ft 5in tall keeper joined Spurs. In 2004/05 he spent time on loan at Chesterfield, then the following season moved on to Coventry on a similar basis.
In November 2006 he joined Roy Keane’s Sunderland, making his move to the Stadium of Light a permanent one in the following January for a fee of £900,000.
Fulop, who has won 21 Hungarian caps, moved on loan to Leicester in August 2007 and was expected to stay with the Foxes until the end of the season. However, after the clubs failed to agree a fee for his permanent move to the Walkers Stadium in the following January — Leicester offered £1 million, Sunderland wanted £3 million — he returned to Wearside.
In February 2008 he briefly joined Stoke on loan but was recalled after four days to cover an injury at Sunderland, however, the Potters and Black Cats agreed a £3 million fee that summer but the move eventually broke down.
Last season Fülöp made only 14 appearances for the Black Cats with Craig Gordon the first choice and Trevor Carson the regular sub. More recently Belgian U21 international Simon Mignolet has also moved to the Stadium of Light. Gordon suffered a broken arm in pre-season and Bruce is looking to sign another senior keeper.
Towards the end of the 2009/10 campaign Fülöp joined Manchester City on an emergency loan basis as cover for the injured Shay Given, but his move to Eastlands was never expected to stretch beyond the final games of the Premier League season.
Blues boss Roy Keane has stated that he likes to have three keepers in his squad and with Richard Wright departing in the summer wanted an additional glovesman to compete with Brian Murphy and Arran Lee-Barrett. TWTD first reported the Blues’ interest in Fülöp in May.
Fülöp, who had a year left on his Sunderland contact, had also been linked with newly-promoted La Liga side Hercules but he understood to have turned down the move to Spain. Anderlecht and Olympiakos were also reportedly interested earlier in the summer, along with a number of Premier League sides, West Brom and Fulham believed to be amongst them.
Photo: ITFC