Liverpool are ‘most keen’ to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha as Jurgen Klopp looks to bring in a replacement for Fabinho this summer, according to renowned journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Liverpool have already lost several midfielders this summer including Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following the expiration of their contracts in June.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are also set to leave Anfield in the coming days as they close in on moves to Saudi Arabia. Henderson has already passed his medical ahead of his proposed £12m move to Steven Gerrard’s side Al Ettifaq while talks have taken place over the structure of Fabinho’s deal after Al Ittihad offered a bid of £40m.
The imminent exit of the experienced duo has opened the door for further midfield additions and Klopp says the Reds are working to add at least one more midfielder signing before their league opener against Chelsea.
According to Sacha Tavolieri, Klopp sees Palhinha as the perfect midfield partner for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia. The Merseysiders are keen to sign the Saints youngster and want Palhinha alongside him in Klopp’s new-look midfield.
Cash-in
Tavolieri says Liverpool are the ‘most keen’ club to sign the Portuguese international and Fulham are already looking to replace the former Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder as he is ‘likely’ to leave. However, they want at least £51m to cash-in on Palhinha this summer.
Palhinha has four years left on his current contract with Fulham therefore the club are under no pressure to sell him, having just joined them from Sporting Lisbon last summer.
He featured in 40 games and scored times across all competitions as Silva’s outfit finished 10th in the Premier League table last season.
However, the 28-year-old suffered a shoulder injury during his side’s 3-2 win over Brentford in the Premier League Summer Series over the weekend. The extent of the injury is yet to be determined with manager Marco Silva claiming it does not look good.
Palhinha, who was later seen with his arm in a sling, has been linked with a move to several clubs including West Ham, who had an initial offer of £45m for the Portugal international turned down by Fulham.
Read more: Report: Liverpool identify £52m star as ‘priority target’ with midfield duo leaving
