Premier League club now confident of keeping £60m player who Chelsea wanted

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Fulham look set to keep hold of Joao Palhinha despite the midfielder being linked to some big clubs, including Chelsea.

Joao Palhinha is a player who Fulham are confident of retaining beyond the January transfer window, according to the Evening Standard.

The same outlet, though, also claims that the west London club would consider bids of around £60m for the 28-year-old.

Last month, the Daily Star reported that Palhinha was a target for Chelsea but their interest cooled with Mauricio Pochettino not wanting to bring in another midfielder.

Palhinha has quickly become one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the Premier League. His average of 4.9 tackles per game is the highest in the division (WhoScored).

Will Chelsea sign Joao Palhinha this month?

Looking at the above, Palhinha could be a superb addition to Pochettino’s squad.

However, Chelsea have had their midfield revamp, bringing in the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez in the last two transfer windows. It would be a surprise if they made another expensive signing in that position.

Palhinha could still leave Craven Cottage, though, even if Fulham are confident of keeping him and their west London rivals have dropped their interest.

There seems to be a price that the Whites would actually sell the Portugal international for, while he is such a good player that it is hard to imagine no one asking the question before the transfer market closes.

He is certainly one name to keep an eye on during this window.

As for Chelsea, other areas of their squad seem to be the priority right now. They continue to be linked with central defenders, including Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice. The Blues signing someone like that is probably more likely than Palhinha arriving at Stamford Bridge from Craven Cottage this month.