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Man United, Liverpool 'join race for Joao Palhinha'

Man United, Liverpool 'join race for Joao Palhinha'
© Reuters
Manchester United and Liverpool reportedly enter the race to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, who is also attracting interest from Arsenal.

Manchester United and Liverpool have reportedly entered the race to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.

The Portugal international, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon in 2022, looked to be heading out the exit door in the summer.

Bayern Munich were seemingly on the verge of securing his signature before the deal fell through on the final day of the transfer window.

After remaining at Craven Cottage, Palhinha has gone on to make 12 Premier League appearances this season, scoring in draws against Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Although he is still a regular fixture in the Fulham side, Palhinha continues to be linked with a move away ahead of the January transfer window.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha in action with Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bruno Fernandes on November 4, 2023© Reuters

While it remains to be seen whether Bayern will pursue a winter deal, Arsenal are said to be considering a move for the 28-year-old.

However, there is a belief that the Gunners would wait until the completion of the 2023-24 season before pursuing a transfer.

According to TEAMtalk, Premier League rivals Man United and Liverpool are set to join the race for Palhinha's signature.

The Red Devils are believed to be in the market for a new midfielder, with the club reportedly open to selling Casemiro.

Donny van de Beek is also set to leave Old Trafford in the new year, while a decision is yet to be made on whether to convert Sofyan Amrabat's loan move into a permanent transfer.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha in action with Chelsea's Armando Broja on October 2, 2023© Reuters

Liverpool, meanwhile, overhauled their midfield department in the summer, bringing in Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

While Jurgen Klopp can call upon several options in the middle of the park, Liverpool are still keeping tabs on potential targets, especially with Thiago Alcantara's contract set to expire in June 2024.

After Bayern all but agreed on a deal in the region of £60m to sign Palhinha in the summer, it could take a similar fee to prise him away from Craven Cottage.

However, there is some concern that Fulham could up their asking price, with Palhinha under contract until at least 2028 after signing an extension in September.

As the Cottagers prepare for Palhinha's potential departure, they are believed to be lining up Fluminense midfielder Andre as a possible replacement.

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Written by
Ben Sully

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool29217169274270
2Arsenal281510352242855
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest28156745331251
4Chelsea28147753361749
5Manchester CityMan City28145953381547
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton28121064640646
8Aston Villa2912984145-445
9Bournemouth28128847341344
10Fulham2811984138342
11Crystal Palace2810993633339
12Brentford28115124844438
13Tottenham HotspurSpurs281041455411434
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd2897123440-634
15Everton2871293135-433
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2896133248-1633
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2865173857-1923
18Ipswich TownIpswich2838172658-3217
19Leicester CityLeicester2845192562-3717
20Southampton2823232068-489


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