Why Joe Bryan's deadline eve U-turn was the final piece of the puzzle for Slavisa Jokanovic and Fulham

Joe Bryan’s dramatic deadline eve U-turn might be the story of this transfer window. The Bristol City left-back underwent a medical at Aston Villa on Wednesday and was all set to complete a £6m move when the phone rang: Fulham, offering more wages and the irresistible lure of the Premier League. Bryan and his agent told Steve Bruce he’d changed his mind, hopped back in the car and drove down to west London.

Bruce’s betrayal was Slavisa Jokanovic’s coup – and it might be the final piece in Fulham’s carefully constructed transfer window.

Much of last season’s defensive unit from which their slick football began was quickly dismantled this summer. Ryan Fredericks moved to West Ham on a free transfer; Tomas Kalas returned to Chelsea; Matt Target returned to Southampton. And although Denis Odoi stayed, he has a two-game suspension after his red card in the play-off final and will miss Saturday’s opener at home to Crystal Palace.

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But sometimes things need to be broken apart and reassembled. Slowly, Jokanovic has rebuilt his base with shiny new pieces: Alfie Mawson signed from Swansea for £15m, and is nearing a full recovery from knee surgery. Maxime Le Marchand joined from Nice for £3.6m, an experienced centre-back who can play across the back. Arsenal’s Calum Chambers moved across London on a a season-long loan having formed a fruitful partnership with Mawson at the U21 European Championships last year.

With right-back Cyrus Christie and centre-half Tim Ream still at the club the defence was almost complete – except at left-back. There were worrying signs in pre-season that Ryan Sessegnon would have to plug that particular leak, especially should Le Marchand be needed in the centre, but that was up until the moment Bryan made his impulse move to Craven Cottage on Wednesday.

Now, not only are Fulham signing one of the most highly rated young players in the Championship, someone with an eye for goal who fits perfectly into Jokanovic’s demands for attacking full-backs with technical quality, but in doing so they have ensured Sessegnon’s precocious talents are released further forwards with full license to ruin Premier League defender’s afternoons.

Late on Wednesday night Tony Khan tweeted, Trump-style: “We’re not selling @ryansessegnon. We’ve never considered it! I couldn’t sit back and read these false rumors anymore, had to say something. Ryan’s key to this @fulhamfc squad; he’s one of the top young talents worldwide and in our plans for @premierleague success. Come on Fulham!” Provided Fulham hold firm through Thursday – Tottenham have long held an interest and Daniel Levy is no stranger to deadline day bids – the retention of Sessegnon will be as significant as their new arrivals.

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Fulham’s transfer window is beginning to look like one of the success stories of the summer. The £27m signing of Jean Michael Seri was particularly eye-catching, a player who has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Andre Schurrle is a smart loan move for a player who, at 27, still has plenty to offer and something to prove in west London. Aleksandar Mitrovic has not come cheap at £18m but showed last season that he is the perfect battering ram in front of Fulham’s flurry of feather arrows which rain down from all directions.

There is a positivity around the club, a sense of optimism that they can take on the Premier League their way and succeed in what sounds a relatively straightforward task: to finish above three teams. It will be a fascinating journey, and for Bryan the opportunity was impossible to resist.