According to Portuguese outlet, Record, Joao Palhinha is travelling to London to have a medical ahead of a move to Fulham.
The newly-promoted side look set to land Palhinha as their first summer signing, and what a signing this could be.
Indeed, while there has been something of a wait for Fulham’s first signing, the midfielder will be worth the wait.
What type of player are Fulham getting? Well, simply put, Palhinha is one of the best tacklers in Europe.
Described as an ‘aggressive’ midfielder. Over the past two league seasons Palhinha has averaged 3.3 tackles per game – in 2020/21 only Wilfred Ndidi had a higher tally in the Premier League.
Of course, you could argue that those numbers are inflated due to the standard of the league he’s playing in, but he’s also averaging 3.7 tackles per game in the Champions League this term. Simply put, this is a player who can take any game by the scruff of the neck.
Fulham already have a midfielder capable of playing a brilliant role as a defensive screen in Harrison Reed, but the arrival of Palhinha may allow the former Southampton man to play more of a box-to-box role next season.
Palhinha is genuinely a Champions League level player, and this will be something of a coup for a newly-promoted Fulham side.
There’s still work to do, but this is certainly a step in the right direction for the Whites.
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