Liverpool could suffer a repeat of the double transfer blow that saw them miss out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in the summer as the representatives of new midfield target Joao Palhinha have reportedly sounded out Chelsea over a move to Stamford Bridge. Liverpool have been in stellar form this season and are top of the Premier League table after 16 matches, while the Blues are 18 points behind them in 12th.
Liverpool appeared to be the front-runners to land Caicedo from Brighton after agreeing a £111million deal for the Ecuador international. But the player snubbed the Reds to sign for Chelsea at the 11th hour for a fee that could rise to £115m. The Merseyside giants then reportedly had a £60m bid accepted by Southampton in exchange for Lavia. But the Belgium international ultimately signed for Chelsea for £58m.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp didn’t go short of midfielders in the summer as he got his hands on Alexis Mac Allister, Dominic Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch. And the German manager appears to be on the hunt for even more midfield talent as he has been linked with a move for Fulham midfielder Palhinha.
However, that deal could also hit a snag as the player’s agents have already spoken with Chelsea about a move to Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window, according to TEAMtalk. And the same outlet have reported that Fulham could demand £60m for the Portugal international.
Palhinha, who has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, joined Fulham from Sporting in the summer of 2022 and has become a Premier League star thanks to a string of top-class performances for the Cottagers.
The 28-year-old has featured 55 times for Fulham and has bagged six goals for the club. His performances helped the team finish 10th in the Premier League last season, with the west London club currently occupying the same position this time around.
Klopp touched upon his midfield while addressing Liverpool fans at a Q&A on Monday night. And the 56-year-old appeared to refer directly to Caicedo and Lavia, who have both failed to get going in the capital, as he explained: “The summer we had with a few strange things happen in the transfer market but here between us I can say, ‘my god, we were lucky.’
“We didn’t know that in the moment, to be honest, we didn’t realise in that moment. But I am really happy it worked out like that. You never know if it will work out like that. Then we obviously realised other central defensive midfielders don’t want to join Liverpool. Yeah, you see what happens.”
