Liverpool have a lot on their cards right now, especially with their midfielders leaving for Saudi Arabia.
The departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will leave a huge gap in the squad (although the latter’s move is a doubt at the time of writing) – with few players already being targeted, one who is currently being linked heavily is Joao Palhinha from Fulham. With already signing two attack-minded midfielders, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szobozslai, it is certain that Liverpool would like to strengthen the defensive part of their midfield.
According to reports, at least two more midfielders will make the move to Anfield.
Hailed as one of them signings of the season last time around, it would be a great addition to the team if Liverpool can secure the services of both Lavia and Palhinha.
In Palhinha Liverpool get a player who is excellent at winning aerial duels and poses a threat during indirect free kicks and also thrives in a system that utilizes the double pivot role. He made the most tackles in the premier league last season and was named Fulham’s player of the season.
Liverpool are reportedly said to have enquired for a bid of around £40million – which is less than the asking price of Fulham but still a lot more than what Fulham paid for him.
Several concerns are there about this potential transfer, some fans believe that he is too old (28) and by this age, he should have been at a bigger club whereas with the Fabinho deal taking more time to conclude, Liverpool might not go for Palhinha at all in case the Brazilian stays at Anfield. It wouldn’t make monetary sense, especially with Romeo Lavia now closing in.
Injury Woes and Their Impact on the Transfer
A hurdle that could prove negatively impacting Palhinha’s Liverpool move is the recent injury he endured in Fulham’s club-friendly against Brentford which is rumoured to be a dislocated shoulder due to which he was subbed off early. This potential injury could rule him out for some significant time away from the playing field and hence derail the transfer procedure in the process.
Fulham have also started to look for replacements with West Ham also interested in the player but it all depends on the extent of the injury he received. The journalist Tavolieri firmly believes that Palhinha will join Liverpool along with Romeo Lavia.
Jurgen Klopp’s Assurances and Transfer Speculations
Speaking on the “We Are Liverpool” podcast the German boss has very much ensured the fans that new players will come in before the start of the season and they will have a good team on paper. With still no concrete details about the players Liverpool is close to signing, it remains to be seen how bad the injury is and whether the money offered by Liverpool will satisfy the demands of Fulham as they already rejected a bid worth £45million from West Ham in their pursuit of replacing their departed captain Declan Rice.