Liverpool are one club Chelsea may not have to worry about if they want to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha next month.
Liverpool and Chelsea battled for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia’s signatures in the summer, with the latter managing to land both players in the end.
However, it does not look like they are going to get into a tussle over Joao Palhinha. According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Reds are “definitely not in the race” for the 28-year-old.
Liverpool and Chelsea have both been linked with Palhinha. TalkSPORT recently reported that the former were interested in the Fulham star, while TEAMtalk claimed that the latter had been sounded out over a potential January deal.
Elsewhere, The Sun has suggested that Palhinha could cost £60m with Manchester City also interested in him.
Liverpool not in race for Joao Palhinha, boost for Chelsea
The above is good news for Chelsea if they really do want to sign Palhinha.
Liverpool have their pull, with Jurgen Klopp being a manager that most players would probably love to play for.
They are also on course to make a return to the Champions League, a competition that Chelsea are unlikely to be in next season.
It could have been difficult for Chelsea to convince Palhinha to join them over their Premier League rivals.
Of course, the Blues were able to beat them to Caicedo and Lavia’s signatures. But a lot has changed since then. Chelsea’s decline has continued, while Liverpool are on the up again. Deciding which team to join could be a much tougher choice this time around.
As things stand, however, it does not look like there will be a transfer battle between Liverpool and Chelsea for Palhinha next month. Never say never, though, especially when the Blues are involved.
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