Chelsea may be interested in Fulham’s Joao Palhinha as a midfield target this summer, according to reports.
Joao Palhinha, who’s just enjoyed a fantastic debut season in English football, joined Fulham last summer for a bargain £17million transfer fee.
The Portuguese defensive midfielder took to the Premier League with relative ease, which is why we’re not too surprised to hear speculation linking him to Stamford Bridge.
Well-respected journalist Simon Phillips claims on his Substack that Palhinha is “a real option” for Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
It is understood that the 27-year-old star is being eyed as a potential target during the club’s search to sign a new midfielder.
In addition, he claims that Blues staff at Cobham have been discussing Fulham’s talisman as a transfer target.
Palhinha, who’s been described as “absolutely phenomenal” by Danny Murphy, has been formidable during his first year in English football.
The tackling machine made more tackles than any other player in the Premier League this season, confirmed by the division’s official website. In fact, Palhinha’s 147 tackles is a long way clear of second-placed Moises Caicedo (100).
He’s fits the kind of profile that Chelsea need to fill the No 6 position next season, but it’s unclear on how much Fulham would want for their midfield powerhouse.
We feel it’s crucial the Blues sign a deep-lying midfield this summer to allow Enzo Fernandez to express himself further up the pitch.
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