Why Chelsea FINALLY Turned A Corner.
It was only a matter of time before these reports started to emerge.
Indeed, according to The Mail, Joao Palhinha is a wanted man.
The Portuguese midfielder is being eyed by West Ham United as a potential replacement for Declan Rice as the England international closes in on a move to Arsenal.
West Ham will receive a hefty windfall for Rice, and a fair chunk of that cash may go towards signing Palhinha.
As any Fulham fan will tell you, West Ham won’t be losing too much in their squad if they swap Rice for Palhinha.
The 27-year-old is the definition of a midfield general. He’s a tough tackling machine who covers every single blade of grass in any given game.
Of course, getting the £17m man away from Fulham may be easier said than done for West Ham.
The midfielder still has five years to run on his contract at Craven Cottage, and while the Hammers can offer Europa League football next season, the reality is that they still finished a long way behind Fulham this season.
Factor in Palhinha’s fantastic relationship with Marco Silva, and it would seem logical to think that the former Sporting CP star could be staying in west London for another year.
Of course, that could all change if one of the Premier League’s elite come calling, but if West Ham are indeed the only interested party, Fulham may not have all that much to worry about here.
Unfortunately for Fulham, it’s hard to believe that this will be the only time Palhinha is linked with a move away this summer, and if a big club do come calling, the towering midfielder’s Fulham career could well be cut painfully short.
