Fulham are bracing themselves for interest in Joao Palhinha.
That’s according to transfer journalist Dean Jones, who believes the Portuguese midfielder will ‘definitely’ have interest from other clubs once the summer transfer window opens at the end of the season.
Previously a top target for Bayern Munich, Fulham’s number 26 saw a last-minute January transfer to the Allianz Arena collapse.
Joao Palhinha could leave Fulham in summer
However, while the Bundesliga giants may opt against reigniting their interest, Jones is still expecting Palhinha, who he considers to be one of Europe’s most ‘underrated’ defensive midfielders, to be wanted by other top clubs.
“There will definitely be interest in Palhinha,” he told GiveMeSport.
You can see from Tony Khan’s recent comments that it’s not impossible that he leaves Fulham. £50m to £60m would be an unbelievable deal for one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe.
“I still feel like Palhinha is generally underrated in the game. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Bayern option remains on the table.”
If Fulham were able to sell Palhinha for £60 million, after signing him from Sporting Lisbon for just £17 million (Sky Sports), it would be a huge financial success story for the Cottagers. And while fans may not see it that way, the club could help cushion their supporters’ initial disappointment by investing that money back into the squad in the hopes of improving upon their mid-table position next season.
As for Palhinha, regardless of what happens with him in the summer, he has been a real asset to Marco Silva. The 28-year-old, who has up to four-and-a-half years left on his contract, has directly contributed to eight goals in 68 games in all competitions, and as Jones pointed out, is certainly among Europe’s most impressive holding midfielders.