According to Dean Jones, Liverpool are keen on a move for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha.
The Portuguese midfielder has been a revelation in the Premier League this season, and it was just a matter of time before the big boys came calling for the Fulham star.
Liverpool are amongst the teams keen, and, to be honest, they’re probably the team that could do with him the most.
Indeed, the Reds’ midfield has lacked any sort of bite this season as Fabinho’s form has fallen off a cliff, and Palhinha would certainly add that nasty edge to the Reds’ midfield that they have been lacking.
No player in the Premier League has made more tackles than the Portuguese colossus. Simply put, his defensive workrate is second-to-none.
Not only would Palhinha bring more grit to Liverpool’s midfield, but he would, once again, allow the Reds’ more creative players to focus on what they do best, players like Thiago Alcantara.
Far too often this season, Thiago has had to do, well try to do, the dirty work in the Reds’ midfield as his teammates have lacked aggression and have been slow to react to danger, and that’s stopped the Spaniard from doing what he does best, exploiting space, dictating tempo and playing line-breaking passes.
Rather than being a playmaker, Thiago has been forced to play as a more complete midfielder this season, and while he’s not awful at that role, it’s not what he does best.
The addition to Palhinha in this team would take a lot of weight off the former Bayern man’s shoulders, and allow him to play with the freedom and positivity that makes him one of the best midfielders on the planet.
Palhinha could genuinely be the signing that helps Liverpool unlock Thiago’s best abilities once again.
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