As per a report in Anfield Watch, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to add Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha to his squad.
Joao Palhinha joined Fulham from Sporting CP in 2022 and in just one year, the 28-year-old has become one of the best central midfielders in the English Premier League.
Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign the midfielder in the summer but Fulham was reluctant to part ways with him. However, a transfer fee of around £70 million should be enough to convince the Cottagers at the end of the ongoing season.
Joao Palhinha is valued at £48 million but his contract with Fulham expires in 2028 which is why £70 million is a very reasonable fee.
Should Liverpool spend money on Joao Palhinha?
Liverpool brought in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch during the summer window but Klopp is yet to find balance in midfield.
Szoboszlai and Mac Allister are slowly picking up pace as the season rolls along but the Anfield outfit is likely to lose Thiago next year with clubs like FC Barcelona interested in signing him.
During his two seasons with Fulham, Palhinha made 175 tackles, winning 94 of them. He’s played 48 games so far which means the midfielder has made 3.6 tackles per match which is a staggering stat. The 28-year-old has played 473 minutes of league football this season while having a rating of 7.28/10 and if he can keep up this level until May then he will actually be a bargain signing for £70 million.
The Liverpool manager will get to spend around £60 million next summer and if the club sells Mo Salah, they will be able to bring in additional cash.
Joao Palhinha will be a superb and necessary addition to the squad because the central midfielder will add a lot of pace in the middle of the pitch. Players like Thiago and Mac Allister are great with the ball at their feet but they do not have the legs to cover the length of the pitch.
Also, Mac Allister might be playing in the deep-lying role but the Argentine is a central midfielder by trade which makes the signing of Palhinha even more important.
Liverpool failed to land Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia before the start of the season but if Klopp can somehow bring in Joao Palhinha then he will once again have a well-balanced midfield.
