Fulham star João Palhinha is determined to join Barcelona either this month or in the summer.
According to Diario Sport, the Portuguese international is keen to leave the Premier League club and targets a move to the Camp Nou.
Palhinha was involved in a transfer saga last summer as the midfielder came close to joining Bayern Munich. The 28-year-old had even travelled to Germany to have a medical in order to complete his move to the German champions, with the move failing in the last minute because of Fulham’s inability to find a replacement.
He stayed at Fulham and extended his contract at the club. However, rumours of him leaving the club have not stopped. The midfielder is considered one of the best players in the Premier League in his position and has been reportedly linked with Liverpool and Arsenal.
However, Barcelona remain the favourite to sign the midfielder, who dream of playing for the Catalan club.
It is well known that the La Liga giants are searching for help at the base of the team’s midfield due to Oriol Romeu’s continued troubles since joining in the summer. The Spanish champions let Sergio Busquets leave the club and their failure to replace him is causing them problems this season.
The report in Diario Sport states that Palhinha has a life long ambition to play for Barcelona and he is appreciated by Xavi’s team.
The La Liga giants will most likely be unable to spend the €60 million asking price set by Fulham as they are in financial turmoil. The transfer is unlikely to go through this month but a summer move cannot be ruled out if the Spanish club can change their financial position.