According to Football Insider, Chelsea and Manchester United will have to pay over £50 million to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer.
The Portuguese star joined Fulham from Sporting Lisbon last summer and he has played a key role in their fantastic return to the Premier League.
Palhinha has been a huge hit due to his strong defensive presence and Football Insider now claim that he could be sold for a hefty profit this summer.
Fulham bought him for £20 million from Sporting and will demand in excess of £50 million from his suitors. As per the report, Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in signing the 27-year-old midfield star.
Quality
Palhinha has been brilliant with his tackling in the Premier League. He is top of the list for tackles won with 119, way higher than second-placed Moises Caicedo (91).
His strong defensive diplays have been pivotal to keeping Fulham away from the relegation battle and the Cottagers may ideally prefer to keep him for next season.
However, the London outfit are unlikely to resist the prospect of selling him for a big profit this summer.
Both United and Chelsea will have plenty of funds to spend in the transfer market and Fulham will be hoping for a bidding battle for Palhinha to secure the best price.
The Portuguese would be a fantastic signing for both clubs. At United, he could play second fiddle to Casemiro for holding midfield role. He could also start alongside the Brazilian on occasions.
Meanwhile, Chelsea could offer him more minutes from the starting line-up than United but the big question mark is whether he would join them without European football.
Palhinha made a brave decision to sign for the Cottagers after their promotion but could now prefer a move to a Champions League club over joining another team in transition.
United could have the upper hand over Chelsea in the pursuit of the midfielder, considering they are very close to securing Champions League football for the 2023/24 season.
