West Ham now ‘very interested’ in £20m Premier League star at London Stadium
West Ham United are expected to make a move for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha during the summer transfer window, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth revealed to GIVEMESPORT.
Palhinha has caught the headlines in recent months for his stellar showings, with speculation surrounding the Portuguese international’s future at Craven Cottage starting to grow.
West Ham United transfer news – Joao Palhinha
According to a report by The Evening Standard, West Ham have earmarked Palhinha as a possible Declan Rice replacement, should the Englishman leave this summer.
It came after Rice captained the Hammers to their first piece of silverware this century, by beating Fiorentina in last week’s Europa Conference League final in Prague.
While a final decision is yet to be made on the midfielder’s future, it was hinted at by chairman David Sullivan that Rice has already played his last game for the east Londoners.
As such, the West Ham board are already scouring the market for potential replacements, with Fulham’s Palhinha just one name mooted as a potential option.
The Portuguese star arrived at Craven Cottage last season, joining the-then Championship winners from Sporting CP in a deal worth £20 million (Sky Sports).
Putting pen to paper on a five-year deal, Palhinha impressed during his debut Premier League season, but there are claims he could already be set to leave Fulham this summer.
What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Palhinha to West Ham?
Garnering interest from across the top flight, Sky Sports reporter Sheth hinted Palhinha could be one of the most sought-after names of the transfer window.
On West Ham’s rumoured interest in the midfielder, Sheth told GIVEMESPORT: “Palhinha from Fulham, West Ham are very, very interested in him. There was a report going out that he had a release clause in his contract and on Twitter, Tony Khan, the football director at Fulham actually replied to that report and said, ‘no, there is no release clause’.
“So Fulham are in the driving seat here simply because he’s got a contract until 2027, he’s still got four years left on it and he had a fantastic season, so his value has only gone up.”
Why would Palhinha swap Fulham for West Ham?
A quick look at the 2022/23 Premier League season will show Fulham finished a whopping 12 points higher than West Ham in the table, with the Cottagers missing out on European football by just three places in the table.
However, as a result of West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph, the Hammers have been fast-tracked into the Europa League, making a transfer to the London Stadium all the more appealing.
Regulars in Europe since 2021, West Ham have built up a European pedigree that few, if any, mid-table teams in the Premier League can match, making it an ideal place for top talents like Palhinha to showcase their abilities.
While they may have spent much of the campaign fending off relegation, West Ham’s Europa League qualification means the club retain their status as an attractive destination for players on the move this summer.