With the season that Joao Palhinha has had for Fulham, it is no wonder that the holding midfielder has attracted the attention of Manchester United and Liverpool.
The Daily Mail are reporting that the Cottager have slapped a £90 million price tag on Palhinha in an attempt to deter potential suitors. This comes after speculation about West Ham identifying the midfielder as a potential replacement for Declan Rice if he is sold this summer.
The midfielder arrived in West London last summer for a fee of £20 million to pry him away from Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese international made 35 Premier League appearances last term, scoring three goals in his debut season.
Top Clubs Chase Joao Palhinha
Exclusive: Fulham are asking for £90MILLION for Joao Palhinha. Stunning valuation to scare off suitors for 27yo midfielder contracted until 2027. West Ham were interested in Palhinha as a Declan Rice replacement https://t.co/Ms8ePOmX7m
— Kieran Gill (@kierangill_DM) June 20, 2023
Is Palhinha Worth That Much?
During his time in his native land, Palhinha made a name for himself as being one of the best anchormen in football. His positional awareness and his smart aggression are now being recognised by powerhouse clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool. His style of play has seen him earmarked as “the perfect number 6”
Read More: Liverpool Continue Midfield Revamp With £85 Million Pair in Their Sights
The 27-year-old recorded an outstanding 4.26 successful tackles per game, which ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s elite leagues. Incidentally, He led the Premier League in tackling stats, tallying 147. This is part of what made Fulham so effective last campaign; they had an excellent screen in front of the back four to break up opposition moves.
Would Palhinha Suit Man Utd or Liverpool?
The Red Devils already have a defensive midfield master in the form of Casemiro, but they have a player in their sights who is as effective, if not more effective, as a tackler. With this signing, they could give the Brazilian star a rest ahead of key games and split duties if the two lined up on the field together.
Read More: Manchester United Set for Sale, Final Offer Has “Slipped Ahead” of the Others
Liverpool have Fabinho in the holding role, but outside of him, they don’t have anybody remotely close that can be identified as a defensive-minded player in their midfield.
Palhinha has established himself as a key part of Marco Silva’s side that performed above expectations this past season. They ended their campaign finishing comfortably in the top half of the table. If they want to replicate those efforts next term, they will need to do all they can to keep their midfield engine at The Cottage over the summer.
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