Fabrizio Romano has shared his latest information on Liverpool’s links with Joao Palhinha ahead of the January transfer window.
The Fulham midfielder has been on the radar at Anfield for some time, with Christian Falk recently suggesting that the Reds are ‘concretely interested in’ the 28-year-old prior to the market opening next month.
As ever, the January transfer window could involve sporting directors such as LFC’s Jorg Schmadtke taking calculated risks in an attempt to bolster the squads at their club’s disposal, much like those who participate in casino games online to try and boost their winnings.
In the Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Romano outlined: “There have been lots of rumours regarding Fulham’s Joao Palhinha in recent weeks and I can honestly say that I don’t have concrete information on Liverpool being in talks to sign Palhinha yet.
“For sure the top Premier League clubs are informed on the player’s situation at Craven Cottage but nothing has started in terms of negotiations with Joao or Fulham yet. Also, Liverpool still have to decide what areas of the pitch they want to invest in during the January transfer window.”
Steve Kay suggested for Football Transfers that a £50m offer could potentially convince Fulham to do business over Palhinha – not an extraordinary fee for an established Premier League operator who also boasts Champions League experience.
The 28-year-old has completed a remarkable 5.4 tackles per game in the top flight this season, which is unsurprisingly the highest average in the division. For comparison, only Alexis Mac Allister (2.2) has averaged more than two per match for Liverpool (via WhoScored).
If the Reds are looking for an experienced and uncompromising defensive midfielder who’s proven themselves in this league, they’ll be hard pressed to find a better candidate than the Portugal international.
However, as we’ve argued on this site in recent days, a player of Palhinha’s ilk mightn’t be what Jurgen Klopp is seeking in the player operating at the base of LFC’s midfield.
Whereas before we leaned upon a battle-hardened destroyer in Fabinho, we now seem to have moved on to a more rounded defensive midfield anchor, judging by Mac Allister’s continued presence in that role.
Also, as Romano referenced, it remains to be seen just which positions will take priority at Anfield in the January transfer window. A new centre-back may be on the agenda following the season-ending ACL injury to Joel Matip, while a right-back addition might also be sought if Klopp wishes to transform Trent Alexander-Arnold into a midfielder on a permanent basis.
Big decisions lay in store for Schmadtke and the Liverpool brains trust.
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