Fulham confirm Philippe Senderos has sealed permanent Valencia switch

Fulham have confirmed that Swiss centre-back Philippe Senderos has joined Valencia CF on full-time basis.

Senderos spent six years at Arsenal including stints on loan at AC Milan and Everton before, in 2010, eventually joining Fulham in a permanent deal.

But after suffering an Achilles injury in pre-season, Senderos did not make his Fulham debut until the end of April 2011. The Swiss centre-half scored two goals in his 68 appearances in all competitions for the West London club.

In a statement on their website, Fulham said: “The Club would like to thank Philippe for his service and wish him well for the future.”

Senderos joins Valencia after three-and-a-half seasons at Fulham. With his contract up at the end of the season there had been rumours that Serie A club Lazio were interested in securing his services.

That speculation had been fuelled by Fulham fans becoming increasingly frustrated with the performance of their back-line this season and Senderos was a regular target for criticism.