Fulham ‘fanbase rattled’ now by unlikely source at Craven Cottage
Fulham have kept hold of some of their top talent at Craven Cottage this summer.
Fulham could be set to lose one of their key players come the January transfer window.
His agent’s comments have unsettled the Cottagers fanbase, but the midfielder must focus on performing well for the club.
The club should prepare for potential interest from other top clubs during the January transfer window.
Fulham star Joao Palhinha missed out on a move to Bayern Munich on Deadline Day this summer, as transfer insider Dean Jones provides his verdict to GIVEMESPORT on the midfielder’s agent’s recent comments
Head coach Marco Silva will be delighted to keep the services of his best player in his Cottagers squad until at least January.
Fulham transfer news – Joao Palhinha
According to BILD, Bayern Munich agreed on a £55m fee with Fulham to sign Palhinha at the Allianz Arena ahead of transfer Deadline Day. The German champions’ fee could increase based on performance-related add-ons heading into the season. Bayern’s second offer came after the west London outfit rejected the Bavarians’ initial £47m approach for the midfielder.
However, a transfer broke down at the last minute, with Fulham pulling the plug on the deal, unable to secure a replacement for Silva’s squad before the 11 pm UK deadline. The Cottagers had been looking to sign Tottenham Hotspur and Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. But, the 28-year-old wasn’t interested in a move across the capital, having a domino effect on Palhinha’s prospective transfer.
In an interview with GIVEMESPORT on Deadline Day, Jones described the deal’s collapse as a “blow” for the Fulham midfielder, who must hit the ground running on his return to the captial. Meanwhile, the Portugal international’s brother and agent, Goncalo Palhinha, has claimed his move to Bayern is only postponed, not cancelled.
“They didn’t kill the dream, they just postponed it. Very proud of my brother and the player I represent.”
Sport1 in Germany has reported that it’s possible Bayern move for Palhinha during the January transfer window, as the 28-year-old aims to join Harry Kane in their quest to win the Champions League.
| Joao Palhinha vs Fulham squad 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Output | Squad ranking | |
| Tackles per 90 mins | 3.5 | 1st |
| Interceptions per 90 mins | 1 | =3rd |
| Pass success rate | 86.8% | 5th |
| Overall rating | 6.94 | 2nd |
| Stats according to WhoScored | ||
What has Jones said about Fulham and Palhinha?
Jones believes that the comments from Palhinha’s agent have “rattled” the Fulham faithful and suggests the player has his sights on a January move to Bavaria. The transfer insider told GIVEMESPORT:
“The comments from Palhinha’s agent have rattled the Fulham fanbase. He’s still got his sights set on ending up at Bayern Munich in the winter, and it sounds like they are confident that will happen. That might be the case, but team plans can change. If Bayern suddenly suffered injuries in other key positions, there is always a danger they have to prioritise something else. Palhinha has to knuckle down now. It’s probably good that he has the international break to get his head straight and time to cool off before returning to Fulham. At the end of the day, the main reason he didn’t leave is because Bayern made their offer too late. That’s their problem, not Fulham’s. And it’s refreshing to know the smaller clubs are not always cornered into letting their best players go.”
How does Palhinha respond to the setback?
Whilst allowed to be disappointed that a dream move to one of European football’s most iconic names collapsed at the last minute, Palhinha must get his head straight before returning to Premier League action with Fulham. The 21-cap Portugal international, dubbed “fantastic” by pundit Jamie Redknapp, arrived at Craven Cottage for £20m from Sporting CP and has made a name for himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the league.
And Palhinha recently told Eleven Sports he was happy at Fulham before Bayern’s interest turned the enforcer’s head.
“It was my first season outside my country – the Portuguese league – the first time I’d left Portugal. It was a change. It was everything together, and I think I faced this challenge very well. It is a league that suits my characteristics and qualities very well. I’ve settled here very well, like a glove. I’m very happy here, and so is my family. At the moment, I’m very happy here [at Fulham], and I want to continue around here. I think it’s the league that suits my football.”
Will Palhinha leave Fulham in January?
Despite keeping hold of their star man this month, Palhinha’s eventual departure from Craven Cottage is becoming inevitable. Bayern’s interest in the midfielder will have alerted several of Europe’s top clubs, who could also be looking to sign someone to dominate proceedings in the middle of the park.
Therefore, Fulham must brace themselves for a potential bidding war during the January transfer window, aiming to replicate last season’s top-half finish this term. However, Palhinha’s focus should be on continuing to impress for the Premier League outfit and
