According to one transfer expert, Liverpool have been offered a player with whom they were strongly linked for much of 2023.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Alex Crook claimed that the entourage of Joao Palhinha have gone straight to clubs such as the Reds and invited them to submit an offer to Fulham for the midfielder, whose proposed deadline day move to Bayern Munich last year collapsed at the 11th hour.
The reporter said of the 28-year-old: “He signed a new contract but that Bayern interest hasn’t gone away, although I’m not sure it will happen this month.
“I know his advisors have been going to the top clubs, the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea in particular, and saying ‘Look, this player has proved himself a Premier League, do you want to make Fulham an offer?’
“At the moment, they’re pushing back on it because of his age. I think he’s 28, that doesn’t necessarily fit the profile that these clubs are willing to do, but I think that’s a mistake because I think he’s just about Fulham’s best player.”
When Fulham lost 4-3 at Anfield a month ago, Palhinha demonstrated just why the likes of Liverpool and Bayern are reportedly so keen on him.
On that day, the midfielder won eight duels and five tackles, along with making four clearances and four interceptions (Sofascore), getting through a mountain of off-the-ball work as his side gave the Reds a severe fright.
It wasn’t an outlier of a performance, either, as his tackling average of 4.9 per game is by far the highest in the Premier League this season (WhoScored). It’s no wonder he was dubbed a ‘special player’ by his former Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorin (Record).
Palhinha is therefore a proven operator in the English top flight, something which could appeal to Liverpool, although the tremendous displays of Wataru Endo at the base of midfield – and the capability of Alexis Mac Allister in that role – make him a nice-to-have rather than a must-have.
Also, his reported £50m valuation (Daily Star) could be steep for a 28-year-old who’d take a non-homegrown berth in the Reds’ domestic and European squads, another important factor which must be considered in the Anfield boardroom.
Right now, it’s difficult to see Klopp swooping for the Fulham powerhouse this month despite praising him highly in the past, although previous transfer windows have taught us never to say never.
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Although Palhinha is 28 years he can play a.significant role in LFC success because of his quality. Therefore it can be naivety for anyone to complain about his.age.Palhinha can play a five period at Anfield with success . When.Chelsea signed Thiago Silva the prophets of doom expressed some.doubts but he had played better.foot.ball.in Pl than Lindelof or Dier and he is still playing well.
Although Palhinha is 28 years he can play a.significant role in LFC success because of his quality. Therefore it can be naivety for anyone to complain about his.age.Palhinha can play a five period at Anfield with success . When.Chelsea signed Thiago Silva the prophets of doom expressed some.doubts but he had played better.foot.ball.in Pl than Lindelof or Dier and he is still playing well.It is nonsensical for anyone to say there is duplication because this is the first time that. I made a comment about this matter