West Ham United will soon offer £40 million to sign 27-year-old Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha from fellow London club Fulham.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Joao Palhinha remains a top target for West Ham United. And the Hammers are ready to offer £40 million to secure the services of the 27-year-old midfielder. Meanwhile, the Fulham midfielder is also on the radars of several top clubs this summer.
Joao Palhinha has taken no time to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. The Portuguese international joined Fulham after nearly a decade with Sporting CP. And he almost immediately became a pivotal figure for the West London club in the 2022/23 season.
The 27-year-old barely missed a game for Fulham this past season, turning out 40 times across all competitions while chipping in with four goals. And Palhinha’s progress has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, including West Ham United.
West Ham United will likely lose Declan Rice in the summer transfer window. The English international is a popular figure in the transfer market following his incredible progress in the last half a decade. And clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United are keen on signing the West Ham captain, with the former leading the race to secure his services.
West Ham will thus delve into the market for a midfielder in the summer transfer window. And Joao Palhinha has emerged as a viable target for the East London club. The Hammers have seemingly not wasted any time in pursuing the 27-year-old. And they are preparing the opening offer to present to Fulham.
The report claims that West Ham will propose a deal worth £40 million to fellow London club Fulham. But it is unclear if the Cottagers will be ready to accept such a sum to part ways with the Portuguese international. That said, Fulham will unlikely give the green light to an agreement worth £40 million.
Palhinha only joined Fulham last summer and has been one of the first names on the team sheet under Marco Silva. So the West London club will unlikely sanction a deal worth £40 million. And it will be interesting to see how the Hammers respond following the answer to their opening bid.
