Sporting Lisbon plan to hand improved deals to Pedro ‘Pote’ Goncalves and Joao Palhinha to ward off interest from the likes of Liverpool and Leicester City, as reported by A Bola.
It’s no coincidence Sporting’s best season in 20 years has coincided with the arrival of two midfielders.
‘Pote’, the former Wolves youngster snapped up from Famalicao, has scored 14 times in 19 matches for Ruben Amorim’s side, firing Los Leoes nine points clear of reigning champions Porto at the top of the table.
Palhinha, meanwhile, has been a revelation at the other end of the park, an N’Golo Kante-esque scrapper proving to be the iron-clad armour of a Sporting team still unbeaten in 2020/21.
Palhinha’s form has even caught the eye of Kante’s old employers, Leicester (A Bola).
According to Sky Sports, meanwhile, Liverpool are giving serious consideration to triggering the £53 million release clause in Pote’s contract as Jurgen Klopp’s side look to bounce back from a nightmare title defence.
But, after two decades languishing behind Benfica and Porto, Sporting have no plans to break up a soon-to-be title-winning squad this early.
Pote and Palhinha will both be offered new contracts, complete with sizeable pay rise.
The ink may still be drying on the long-term deal Palhinha signed last summer but his growing importance to the team looks set to be rewarded.
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