Who is Joao Palhinha? Ronaldo's friend linked with Man Utd

Martin Macdonald

23 Feb 2022 10:28 GMT
6 min read

Joao Palhinha, Sporting, Man Utd target — © ProShots

Over the last few weeks, Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused of creating a breakaway clique within the Manchester United dressing room.

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The forward, a natural leader, is allegedly within a group of Portuguese speakers at the club including Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes and Fred.

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These rumours have been denied by many at the club including manager Ralf Rangnick.

And, it seems there are no concerns over it as Man Utd are actually looking to add to their Portuguese ranks this summer with the acquisition of Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha.

He has been on Man Utd's radar for a while, but what kind of player is he?

What position does Joao Palhinha play in?

Palhinha plays as a defensive midfielder in a deep-lying playmaker role.

How good is Joao Palhinha?

Palhinha featured in the Sporting CP youth academy before eventually featuring for Sporting B and then the senior side.

Key to his development were three loan spells at Moreirense, Belenenses and then Braga. It was at Braga that he started to impress.

He is a bit of a late bloomer in that he has only recently found the best form of his career at age 25/26.

Prior to the 2020/21 campaign, he was strongly linked with a move away to CSKA Moscow or Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr. When no move materialised he was brought back into the fold at Sporting and from there he took his chance.

He was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year for his performances that season.

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A post shared by João Palhinha (@joaopalhinha6)

Palhinha is in the mould of a Rodri in that he likes to patrol the area in front of his defence, collecting the ball from defenders and moving possession onto the attackers.

Following an impressive performance in a 1-0 win against Estoril earlier this season, the Portuguese press lavished praise on him, with a report in A Bola stating:

“It starts to be difficult to quantify the defensive and offensive actions of a midfielder who attacks (almost scored with a bomb, at 90+3′), who defends, who rules midfield, with a radius of action that increases without him having any problems with it.

“That, alone, disarms opponents, and almost pushes the opponent into midfield, with intensity and aggressiveness immune to fatigue. That carries the heart of the team, in every action, in every cut.”

What clubs are interested in Joao Palhinha?

In the summer of 2021 it was Tottenham who were believed to be leading the race for his signature.

In the January transfer window, Newcastle were said to be interested before they turned their attentions to Bruno Guimaraes.

Now, it appears Man Utd have a free run at signing the Portuguese star, who, according to Jornal de Noticias, is keen on the move to link up with international team-mates Ronaldo, Fernandes and Dalot.