Fulham have been told that they should make a move for England international Jordan Henderson this month if Joao Palhinha leaves the club in January.
Palhinha has been on the radar of Bayern Munich and several Premier League sides but right now looks set to stay put at Craven Cottage.
Speaking on TalkSPORT (10/1 7:50am), Ally McCoist has suggested that Jordan Henderson would be a good fit for Marco Silva’s side.
There is no doubt that Joao Palhinha is still Fulham’s most important player.
The Whites struggled without Willian and Raul Jimenez in recent weeks and their return coincided with a huge win over Arsenal on New Year’s Eve.
However, the match would have almost certainly ended in a draw had Palhinha not made a heroic tackle on Bukayo Saka in the final moments of the match.
His fist-pumping celebration in front of the away fans is now an iconic image for Fulham fans and he collapsed to the ground when the full-time whistle blew.
Fulham will be desperate for Palhinha to stay put until at least the summer but have now been told to make a move for Jordan Henderson should he depart.
The 81-cap international is desperate to leave Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq just six months after arriving.
However, his mega wages might be a problem for any Premier League club this month, let alone Fulham.
McCoist tells Fulham to consider Henderson as Palhinha’s replacement
Speaking about the 33-year-old’s future, McCoist said: “There are half a dozen clubs he could come and play for quite comfortably.
Co-host Alan Brazil then suggested: “If [Joao] Palhinha goes, could he fit in at Fulham?”
McCoist replied: “Of course he would! Honestly, I’m saying half a dozen, it could be eight or nine teams that he would come in at.
“Palhinha, who I like, I like him a lot. It’s amazing how he’s gone over there and for one reason or another, he hasn’t settled.
“You look at some of the crowds, their form’s been poor as well, the team’s been really poor. So, maybe it’s just not what he thought it was going to be.
“He wants to come back, I get it, but I don’t think there will be any shortage of clubs that will take him.”
There are several issues with Fulham considering Henderson as a replacement for Palhinha.
While the Englishman is a deep-lying midfielder, he’s far from the same tackling behemoth as Fulham’s number 26.
Palhinha has topped Europe’s top leagues for tackles since his arrival, while Henderson is averaging less than a tackle a game in Saudi Arabia.
Henderson is a good passer but resembles the role Tom Cairney plays right now more than Palhinha.
Replacing the Portuguese is going to be next to impossible if and when he does eventually depart.
But an ageing Jordan Henderson is not the answer if the 28-year-old leaves this month.