MX23RW : Thursday, November 7 12:49:08| >> :120:10012:10012:

Liverpool 'withdraw interest in Fulham's Joao Palhinha'

Liverpool 'withdraw interest in Joao Palhinha'
© Reuters
Liverpool reportedly withdraw their interest in Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha due to his recent injury and £90m price tag.

Liverpool have reportedly ended their interest in Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.

The Portugal international took the Premier League by storm during his debut campaign last term, making more tackles than any other player in the division.

Palhinha also chipped in with four goals from 41 matches in his debut campaign, helping Marco Silva's side achieve a top-half finish in their first campaign back in the big time.

The former Sporting Lisbon man has recently been struggling with a shoulder injury, but he recovered in time to make a 23-minute cameo in Saturday's defeat to Brentford.

Palhinha's contract at Craven Cottage runs until 2027 with the option of an additional 12 months, but the 28-year-old has inevitably been tipped to move to a European-competing club this summer.

Joao Palhinha celebrates scoring for Fulham on September 16, 2022© Reuters

Liverpool have long been linked with a swoop for Palhinha, but according to Football Insider, the Reds have now walked away from a potential deal due to a couple of factors.

The midfielder's recent injury apparently raised alarm bells within the Anfield boardroom, while Fulham's £90m valuation is also too excessive for the Reds.

Liverpool supposedly feel that Fulham are trying to price Palhinha out of an exit from Craven Cottage, while similar advances from West Ham United were also rebuffed.

The Hammers are rumoured to have failed with a £45m offer for Palhinha, who has also been watched by Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, but he is now expected to stay put in West London.

Liverpool searched far and wide for a new number six in the wake of Fabinho's £40m move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, but their efforts to bring Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Anfield ended in failure.

Wataru Endo in action for Liverpool in August 2023© Reuters

In both instances, Liverpool managed to agree a fee with Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton, only for Caicedo and Lavia to choose Chelsea, who subsequently outbid the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp's side turned to a cheaper alternative in the shape of Japan international Wataru Endo, who arrived from Stuttgart for approximately £16.2m on Friday.

The 30-year-old received international clearance in time to make his debut in Saturday's 3-1 win over Bournemouth, enjoying a 27-minute run-out after fellow summer signing Alexis Mac Allister was given a straight red card for a challenge on Ryan Christie.

Stefan Bajcetic was also back on the bench this weekend following his troublesome adductor injury, but Liverpool are still said to be in the market for another defensive midfielder before the window slams shut.

Goals from Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota saw the Reds come from a goal down to beat Bournemouth, and their next Premier League game comes away to Newcastle United next Sunday.

ID:521693:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6151:

Click here for more stories about Joao Palhinha

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pictured in August 2023
Read Next:
Jurgen Klopp questions Alexis Mac Allister red card in Bournemouth win
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!