Fulham eyeing £5m midfielder ahead of January, he’s another Palhinha

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Premier League newcomers Fulham are weighing up a move for £5 million-rated Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia ahead of the January transfer window, according to ESPN. 

Joao Palhinha, one of the summer’s most inspired signings, has missed just one league game since joining the Cottagers from Sporting Lisbon. And is it any coincidence that, when he was unavailable through suspension, Marco Silva’s side suffered their heaviest defeat of the campaign, going down 4-1 at home to Newcastle United? 

Now, Nathaniel Chalobah’s red card mere moments after kick-off certainly played a part. But it’s hard to imagine Newcastle scything through Fulham with such ease – ten men or not – if Palhinha was throwing himself into tackles in front of his beleaguered back four. 

Fulham do not have a natural replacement for Palhinha in their squad. And when you consider that the Portugal international has accumulated over 60 yellow cards in his senior career, this is unlikely to be the only time he misses via suspension during his time in West London. 

Fulham like Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia

So this is where Pablo Maia comes in.

The 20-year-old is a defensive midfielder in the Palhinha mould; an aggressive, all-action presence. One who loves nothing more than shrugging opposition players off the ball before starting quick counters with his pinpoint passing. 

With ESPN reporting that Fulham are monitoring Maia, having also shown an interest in his Sao Paulo team-mate Luizao, one can only assume that an effort is being made to ease the burden on the already-talismanic Palhinha at Craven Cottage. 

“Pablo plays as the (deep-lying) midfielder. He gives security to our defence,” explains Sao Paulo chief Muricy Ramalho. “He has a good pass too. He’s not just about marking (opposition forwards).  

“Nowadays, the midfielder has to play too, and he has a good pass. Of course, he does the simple things but he keeps the ball, which is what (head coach) Rogerio (Ceni) wants. He gives stability to Sao Paulo.”

Maia was linked with a move to big-spending Nottingham Forest a couple of months ago. He is reportedly valued in the region of £5 million (Jorge Nicola).