Chelsea might abandon their reported pursuit of Joao Palhinha as Mauricio Pochettino is not too keen to strengthen his midfield.
According to The Daily Star, Chelsea are set to cool their interest in Joao Palhinha with Mauricio Pochettino not interested in another midfielder. Manchester City are also keen on the 28-year-old, as Fulham might demand a hefty fee to sell the Portuguese star.
Joao Palhinha emerged on the radars of all the top clubs in the Premier League ahead of the January window. The 28-year-old narrowly missed out on a move to Bayern Munich, and despite signing a new deal with Fulham afterwards, he might still depart next month.
The report points towards a potential £50 million fee that Fulham might demand and places Manchester City as the frontrunner. Pep Guardiola’s side are reportedly interested and may have chosen to pursue the 28-year-old after switching their attention from Lucas Paqueta.
Man City are likely to allow Kalvin Phillips to leave and could bring in another defensive midfielder in place. Their interest in Palhinha might stem from an immediate need to shore up the position after some questionable displays.
While Manchester City are seemingly ahead, Chelsea, who also held an interest in Palhinha, might drop out of the race. The Blues have spent north of £250 million on midfielders since last January, meaning they do not specifically need a new one on priority.
Palhinha’s entourage have touched base with Chelsea, and at one stage, it appeared the club might make an effort. Mauricio Pochettino has prioritised other areas of the squad in January ahead of signing new midfielders.
Chelsea will have Romeo Lavia returning soon, while the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwue will also be in the mix later on. The Blues probably need more attacking reinforcements, particularly a new striker, to lead their line.
As for Palhinha, he will have offers on the table the way things are moving. Arsenal and Liverpool have also shown interest, while Bayern Munich might return with another offer in January. For now, Manchester City are seemingly leading the chase, with Chelsea looking to bow out.
