Man City join FOUR Premier League giants in hunt for €60m star

Cameron Smith

• 17 Dec 2023 13:56 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester City are the latest team to express an interest in Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, according to recent reports.

The former Sporting CP star has garnered interest from every major club in the Premier League over the past few months and Pep Guardiola is reportedly also keen on landing him to bolster his midfield.

Kalvin Phillips is set to leave the Etihad Stadium in 2024 as he continues to struggle for game time, with Palhinha lined up as a possible replacement.

According to the Daily Star, City are planning a move for Palhinha as they anticipate Phillips will join either Juventus or Bayern Munich in January.

The 28-year-old is seen as a cheaper alternative to West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta, who was heavily linked with a move to Man City during the summer transfer window.

Man City to sign Joao Palhinha?

While Man City have now joined the race for Palhinha, they face serious competition for his signature.

As per reports, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all interested in Palhinha as they set their sights on signing a proven Premier League performer.

FootballTransfers understand that Arsenal’s pursuit of Palhinha has come following Aston Villa’s stance regarding a move for Douglas Luiz. We have been told that Unai Emery’s side want a fee in excess of €125 million for the Brazilian as they target a shock Premier League title charge.

As a result, the Gunners have identified Palhinha as an alternative due to the fact that Fulham would accept a fee of around €58m, we have been informed.

Fluminense midfielder Andre has also been touted as a Man City target by the Daily Star as they search for someone to replace Phillips. The 22-year-old is interestingly on Fulham’s radar as a potential replacement for Palhinha, as revealed by FootballTransfers earlier this season.