Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 26/04/23...

[WhiteJC]

Results

Tuesday
Wolves	2-0	Palace
Villa	1-0	Fulham
Leeds	1-1	Leicester

[WhiteJC]

Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham

Tyrone Mings (obscured) scored for Aston Villa for the first time in 55 Premier League appearances since netting in their 2-0 home win over Brighton on 20 November, 2021

Aston Villa beat Fulham at Villa Park to move up to fifth in the Premier League and boost their chances of playing in a European competition for the first time since 2010.

Tyrone Mings scored the crucial goal, his first in the league since November 2021, with a glancing header following John McGinn's excellent inswinging corner.

Fulham saw Andreas Pereira fire an acrobatic volley into the side-netting after only 30 seconds, but struggled to create further clear-cut chances.

Unai Emery's Villa are now unbeaten in 10 Premier League matches and this victory takes them above Tottenham and five points behind third-placed Newcastle United, although they have played two games more.

They have not played in Europe since losing to Rapid Vienna in the Europa League play-offs in August 2010.

Villa maintain resurgence under Emery
For Villa, it continues a remarkable turnaround since these two sides met on 20 October, with Fulham winning 3-0 at Craven Cottage.

Then-Villa boss Steven Gerrard was sacked within an hour of the final whistle, with the club 17th in the table having won only two of their opening 11 games.

Emery came in at the start of November and the club have since won 13 of their 20 league games and were last beaten 4-2 by league leaders Arsenal in February.

But now European football could well be back at Villa Park for the first time in 13 years - and Emery's men were good value for their win.

Ollie Watkins appeared to have a good shout for an early penalty after a challenge from Tosin Adarabioyo, but neither on-pitch referee Thomas Bramall, nor video assistant Tony Harrington, felt it was worthy of a spot-kick.

Watkins also had an effort saved by Bernd Leno, Emiliano Buendia had a shot blocked and McGinn was frustrated by Leno as Villa pushed for a second goal.

With Manchester City and Manchester United, both already guaranteed European football next season, meeting in the FA Cup final, a top-seven finish will take Villa into Europe.

Fifth or sixth would take Villa into the Europa League group stages, while seventh would leave them in the Europa Conference League play-offs.

And it's all in Villa's hands.

They still have to play fellow European contenders Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Brighton, as well as a west Midlands derby at Wolves, in what promises to be a thrilling final five matches for their fans.

Fulham fading after excellent campaign
Visitors Fulham can be forgiven for being a bit envious of Villa's position.

Having won the Championship in 2021-22, Marco Silva's side have been superb at the higher level and, as recently as mid-February, were sixth, but this was their fifth loss in seven matches to end their own European hopes.

Ninth-placed Fulham are still aiming for their first top-10 finish in the top-flight since 2011-12 and Silva will still be proud of how his side have performed in difficult circumstances.

They were still without top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic as he serves an eight-game ban for pushing the referee during their FA Cup quarter-final loss against Manchester United in March.

The Cottagers suffered further blows as Brazilian midfielder Willian, who had been named in the starting line-up, had to pull out just before kick-off. Wales winger Harry Wilson was also substituted in the 16th minute, limping off with an injury.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65307417

[WhiteJC]

Pre-Aston Villa Press Conference

Marco Silva praised the impact made by Unai Emery since taking over at Aston Villa.

Since his arrival, Villa have won 12 of their 19 Premier League matches, propelling themselves into European contention.

It's a stark contrast to the side that were comfortably beaten 3-0 at Craven Cottage back in October, in what proved to be Steven Gerrard's final game in charge.

"They showed a reaction straightaway after that match," Silva said. "Of course, Unai is doing a very good job. He is a great manager, I think he's not surprised anyone. They are a really well managed team, and with quality.

"Everyone knew when the season started, the quality they have, what they want to fight for. You could feel during the summer with the type of players they signed as well, what they really wanted to fight for.

"They did not have a good spell in the beginning of the season, and after came the reaction. Very good players, as I said before, and very well managed by Unai.

"They are playing a different system and you can feel that they are much more confident right now.

"I think the results help them to be much more confident, some players are in a very good moment of form, clearly. The striker [Ollie] Watkins is a very good example, but not just him, I think I will be unfair if I just mentioned one player because collectively they are in a very good moment.

"They are strong, playing at home you know the type of atmosphere we are going to face at Villa Park, but it will be a good game for us as well because we will be able to challenge, and we like this type of challenge."

Asked if the tactical plan from the last time we met goes out the window due to Villa's new style, Silva was adamant that we will not stray from the philosophy that has served us so well this season.

"No, it will not be out of the window, because we have an idea and we are not going to change anything from our idea because we are going to face Villa, or a different Villa," he explained.

"That's not the way we approach the games. The Fulham you saw that evening, without some players that are important for us, the idea was there and will not change.

"Of course, as Villa will adjust some things because they are going to play against us, we are going to adjust some things because we are going to play against Villa.

"We analyse them, we know they play slightly different, always the two strikers, the two wingers really inside as well. Not wingers really, the wide midfielders they play inside, and they do it well, that square in the centre of the pitch.

"These are the things that we have to adjust. About our idea that we saw that evening, we will not change anything because we are always trusting in our process, and it's part of our process to keep improving on some of the things.

"We'll be the same Fulham, trying to play in the same way, of course facing a different Villa because they are in a different moment. They are probably in the best moment of their season, and of course we have to adjust some things."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/april/24/pre-aston-villa-press-conference/

[WhiteJC]

Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham

Fulham were beaten by a solitary goal at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

In a game low on incident, Tyrone Mings' first half header proved the difference.

The Aston Villa defender found the same net in the second period, but the equaliser was ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

There was initially just the one change from the side that defeated Leeds United, with the previously ineligible Dan James returning on merit following his fine performance at Everton, but an injury to Willian in the warm-up led to a late call-up to the starting XI for Manor Solomon.

The angle the travelling Fulham fans had led them to believe Andreas Pereira had bicycle kicked their side in front with just 20 seconds played, but sadly his effort had in fact gone the wrong side of the post and into the side-netting.

Our wingers weren't enjoying much good fortune at Villa Park, with Harry Wilson withdrawn in the early stages – gutting news for the Welshman considering his recent form. Bobby De Cordova-Reid came on to replace him.

Villa had grown into the game without fashioning too much, but broke the deadlock in simple fashion in the 21st minute, with Mings running to meet a corner and sending a looping header inside the far post.

The Villans were playing with the confidence that nine-game unbeaten runs tend to generate, but Fulham were keeping in the match, with a couple of routine Bernd Leno saves from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn the only further threats to our goal in the first half.

Neither side settled particularly smoothly into the second, though we did rely on some strong defending from Antonee Robinson to prevent Watkins getting in on goal just before the hour mark.

Fulham's resilience was causing agitation amongst the home fans, whose mood wasn't helped when a terrific Tosin block to deflect Watkins' shot over was given as a goal-kick.

At the other end, James looked set to sweep home an equaliser at the far post after De Cordova-Reid tried to pick him out, but a crucial touch from Ashley Young took it out of his path.

The Whites did have the ball in the net with eight minutes to play when Mings turned Harrison Reed's cross into his own goal, but the Fulham midfielder had strayed offside in the build-up.

There were chances at either end in stoppage time, with McGinn dragging wide and Emi Martinez beating Carlos Vinicius to De Cordova-Reid's cross, but a second goal of the game proved elusive on a peculiarly quiet evening in the Midlands.

A Villa: Martínez, Ashley Young (Chambers 85'), Konsa, Mings, Álex Moreno (Digne 77'), Dendoncker, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Buendía, Ramsey (Traoré 77'), Watkins

Subs: Diego Carlos, Traoré, Chambers, Durán, Olsen, Digne, Sinisalo, Revan, O'Reilly

Fulham FC: Leno, Tete (Cédric Soares 68'), Tosin, Ream, Antonee Robinson, Reed (Kebano 83'), João Palhinha, Wilson (De Cordova-Reid 17'), Andreas Pereira (Cairney 68'), Solomon (Carlos Vinícius 67'), James

Subs: Rodák, Duffy, Kebano, Cairney, Cédric Soares, De Cordova-Reid, Lukić, Carlos Vinícius, Diop



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/april/25/aston-villa-1-0-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'want' to land Leeds United and Nottingham Forest transfer target this summer

Latest news on the transfer front involving Fulham emerges as they plot a potential summer swoop

Fulham are reportedly keen on snapping up Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo this summer. The former Spain youth international is out of contract at the end of the season and is currently due to become a free agent as he is yet to put pen-to-paper on an extension.

According to a report by Sky Sports, the Cottagers 'want' to land him to bolster their defensive department ahead of the next campaign. However, there is expected to be competition for his signature with European giants such as Juventus, AC Milan, Villarreal and Valencia all also in the frame.

Fulham may also have to see off fellow Premier League side Leeds United to land the full-back. The Whites are currently fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table but are interested according to Italian news outlet CalcioMercato. The Athletic claim Nottingham Forest like him too.

Grimaldo, 27, would give Marco Silva another option to pick from in his position to compete with Antonee Robinson. There will also be a vacancy to fill with Layvin Kurzawa due to return to PSG when his loan deal runs outl.

He started his career as a youngster with spells at Atlético Valbonense and Valencia. Barcelona then snapped him up in 2008 and he went on to make 92 appearances for their B team but never made a senior appearance.

Instead, a move to Benfica beckoned and he has played for the Portuguese giants ever since, playing 297 games to date and chipping in with 24 goals. A switch to England could be on the horizon now and Fulham are being linked.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-want-to-land-leeds-united-and-nottingham-forest-transfer-target-this-summer-4118726

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal loanee has no regrets despite barely playing

Cedric Soares insists he doesn't regret his move to Fulham, despite limited opportunities for the Premier League side so far.

Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares joined Fulham in the January transfer window on a loan deal until the end of the season, with no option to buy in the contract.

The 31-year-old probably hasn't played as much as he might have hoped since then, but he insists that he doesn't regret his decision to move.

Speaking to the media this week, the right-back says he was the driving force behind the January loan.

"I was at Arsenal, a club that respects me a lot, where they know me very well as a player and as a person, where I have the love of all the people," Cedric said.

"But this ended up being a personal decision, one that I pushed hard for. This opportunity came up at Fulham and I felt like I had to take it. Fulham are fighting for other goals and we are playing good football.

"This change was attractive and I don't regret it."

Cedric has now been with Fulham for almost three months, and he's made two starts – one against West Ham United in the Premier League and one against Leeds United in the FA Cup.

The right-back has made four further substitute appearances, but only for a combined total of less than 20 minutes on the pitch.

When Cedric completed his loan move to Fulham, they reportedly held talks with Arsenal over a potential fee for a permanent summer move.

But his limited involvement since then doesn't particularly bode well for that eventuality.

Fulham still have seven games left, including a notable clash at home to Manchester City, so there's still some time for Cedric to make an impact over the next month.



https://dailycannon.com/2023/04/cedric-fulham-regret/

[WhiteJC]

Mings goal enough for Villa against Fulham

Tyrone Mings scored the only goal of the game on a tough night for Fulham at Villa Park.

The England defender headed John McGinn's right-wing corner into the far corner of the net midway through the first half and it turned out to be enough to give Aston Villa the points.

Willian, who was named in the Fulham side, suffered an injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Manor Solomon.

And the visitors, still without suspended striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, were forced to make another change when Harry Wilson went off after 17 minutes and was replaced by Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

Fulham had the first chance of the game when Andreas Pereira sent an acrobatic effort into the side netting in the second minute.

After that they struggled to create openings, and after Mings' goal former Brentford forward Ollie Watkins missed a couple of opportunities to double Villa's lead.

With eight minutes remaining, Harrison Reed's cross was turned into his own net by Mings, but the goal was disallowed as the Fulham midfielder was offside.
Fulham: Leno, Tete (Soares 68), Ream, Adarbioyo, Robinson, Palhinha, Reed (Kebano 83), Solomon (Vinicius 68), Pereira (Cairney 68), Wilson (De Cordova-Reid 17), James.
Subs not used: Rodak, Duffy, Lukic, Diop.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/aston-villa-v-fulham-report-250423

[WhiteJC]

Aston Villa: Fulham's performance and away support dubbed "pitiful"

The two teams met at Villa Park on Tuesday, but one of them didn't seem too bothered.

Aston Villa reporter Gregg Evans has slammed Fulham's performance and away fans after their "pitiful" display away at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

What's the latest on Fulham and Aston Villa?
In their mid-week Premier League outing, the Villans played host to the Cottagers as they continue their push to end the season with European football guaranteed next term.

Unai Emery's men came into the match in great form – in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten streak – and showed their confidence in the early stages. Inded, Villa dominated large sections of the first half and were good value for their lead at halftime, with Tyrone Mings heading in the opener from a corner.

All the while, Fulham failed to really look that bothered on and off the pitch, racking up just a measly 0.1 expected goals during the entire encounter. And that was certainly noted by journalist Evans who was at Villa Park and remarked on the underwhelming atmosphere.

Indeed, he wrote on Twitter: "Are Fulham just not bothered? Very little attacking intent. Pitiful away following. What's going on..."

Why was it so quiet at Villa Park?
Comparatively, another game in the Premier League on the same night really showed how intense crowds can really be when two teams have something big on the line worth fighting for.

Indeed, Leeds United were coming up against relegation rivals Leicester City at Elland Road, and journalist Graham Smyth noted a "guttural a post-MOT roar" from the home fans, while Sky Sports' Sam Blitz called the atmosphere "raucous".

Of course, both those teams are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the division. Fulham, on the other hand, are comfortable in the middle of the table – which may explain their fans' apparent apathy towards this particular encounter.


https://www.footballfancast.com/aston-villa-news-match-reaction-villa-park-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Aston Villa beats Fulham 1-0, moves up to 5th in EPL

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Tyrone Mings scored to help Aston Villa continue its rise up the Premier League in a 1-0 win against Fulham on Tuesday.

After struggling earlier in the season, Villa is now up to fifth in the standings and in contention to qualify for the Europa League.

It has been a remarkable turnaround under Unai Emery, who replaced Steven Gerrard in October after the team had managed only two league wins and sat one place above the relegation zone.

Mings' 21st-minute header at Villa Park proved enough to extend Villa's unbeaten run to 10 games, including eight wins.

The defender connected with John McGinn's corner and flicked the ball past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno into the far corner for his first goal for the club since November 2021.



https://apnews.com/article/aston-villa-fulham-premier-league-f085ed7284566074f8c6ee0b73afc02e

[WhiteJC]

Player ratings: Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham

George Rossiter rates the whites after the game at Villa Park

It was defeat on the road for Fulham on Tuesday evening after a drab performance which saw just one shot in the entire game, which came after a mere 20 seconds from the boot of Andreas Pereira. After the previous two wins on the bounce, Marco Silva will likely be expecting a huge response at the Cottage on Sunday, as we face Northern minnows Manchester City.

Bernd Leno
Not really sure how to assess Leno's performance. The only memorable moment near his goal was a Tyrone Mings that looped over his head, opening (and closing) the scoring for Aston Villa and the game as a whole. Bar a couple of long range efforts that fell into his hands with little threat, that's as exciting as it got, at either end... 6/10.

Kenny Tete
Tete cut a frustrated figure throughout. The threat offered by Moreno bombing down his outside with Watkins on his inside, with little cover at times from his winger, would've been a struggle for any full-back. Offensively, when he got into good positions, there was rarely options in the box with such a small attacking trio from the off. 6/10.

Tosin
Comfortably Fulham's best performer, and a man who has found some really promising form in recent weeks. His new found composure on the ball, exemplified by his calmness on the ball when pressed in his own area in this game, gives him another arrow to his bow in his battle with Issa Diop for a spot in the side. He defended brilliantly in 1-on-1 scenarios, especially in one instance when Ollie Watkins looked to be through on goal. 8/10. – Man of the match.

Tim Ream
Made a good block early on from a dangerous Douglas Luiz effort which could've put Fulham in a really worrying position early on. While Tosin and Robinson's slight extra pace either side of him was the more effective approach to nullifying the threat of form man Ollie Watkins, the American was still strong defensively if not having to be spectacular too often. 6.5/10.

Antonee Robinson
Not a particularly standout performance but there was definitely more positives than negatives, especially defensively. Going forward was a struggle with Villa's set up and our lack of height to cross into. Defensively, Jedi was solid in his battles and his pace was massively effective in recoveries against the likes of Watkins. 6.5/10.

Joao Palhinha
There's been a run of games now where Palhinha has started games very sluggishly and rarely managed to pick his intensity up as the games go on. Similarly to Pereira, he may be in need of a rest, but we may not have the profile of player to come in that allows him such a break. His passing, which has been criticised at times, was decent tonight, but bar that not much to report, other than a 12th yellow card of the season. 5.5/10.

Harrison Reed
In all honesty this might've been a performance that went under the radar. Nothing spectacular, but it's worth noting the 'heavy lifting' from Harrison on a day where Palhinha underperformed. He was strong in tackles like you'd normally expect from his midfield counterpart, and his runs in the right channel were really effective, and nearly provided a late equaliser had his run that resulted in Dan James putting the ball in the net not been called for offside. 7/10.

Andreas Pereira
The man literally nearly scored an overhead kick after 20 seconds, that would've given us a completely different game. While Pereira was one of the better players in the first half, recognising the need to come deep to pick the ball up and get the team possession, midway through the second half he once again looked knackered and was sensibly subbed off. 6.5/10.

Harry Wilson
How is your luck. Finally finding form after a long-term injury and then subbed off within 20 minutes of the game. N/A.

Manor Solomon
The Israeli winger was a late call-up to start and it looked that way. His dribbling that is normally so dangerous to Premier League full-backs looked rusty and ineffective, losing the ball far too often in the first half. Just in general, the quality he showed when scoring every week not so long ago seems to have faded in a period where his minutes have also diminished. 5.5/10.

Dan James
Really don't think he was bad. Like the Everton game, he was looking to run into the channels to chase balls and affect the game, but the service just wasn't quite there. As the game opened up and he ventured out wide, he saw the ball more and had more of an impact. There was definitely enough to suggest again that this is our best Mitrovic alternative for now. 7/10.

Substitutes
Bobby De-Cordova Reid (17' for Harry Wilson)
In all honesty I thought he'd offer good cover for Tete in a game where Moreno and Watkins proved such a unique threat down the left but Bobby probably didn't quite cover enough defensively. Going forward I do think it was more a game for Harry Wilson to cut inside and cause Leeds danger, more danger than came from our right hand side once Bobby came on. 6/10.

Cedric (68' for Kenny Tete)
Actually quite an impressive cameo. Instantly showed more of a willingness to put the ball in the box, mainly because he then had Vinicius to aim for, but it's worth praising the positions he got into out wide and the amount of times he got on the ball and moved the team forward late on. 7/10.

Tom Cairney (68' for Andreas Pereira)
Cairney did what he does and got on the ball as much as possible as soon as he entered the pitch. Unfortunately, as much as he looked to change the game for Fulham, he just never got on the ball far enough up the pitch to make that difference. 6.5/10.

Carlos Vinicius (68' for Manor Solomon)
While he gave the wide players an outlet to aim at, he just looked as frustrated as the fans felt watching how unable he was to effect the game. I'm not one to buy into Vinicius as a bad player or to scapegoat him, but this was a really poor cameo. Being offside in the 94th minute so unnecessarily as Fulham desperately searched for an equaliser didn't help the mood. 5/10.

Neeskens Kebano (83' for Harrison Reed) came on too late to be fairly rated.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2023-04-25-player-ratings-aston-villa-1-0-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Summer Series Tickets: Pre-Sale

Fulham fans can take advantage of an exclusive pre-sale window for July's Summer Series out in the United States.

The pre-sale window opens at 3.30pm (BST) this Tuesday, with tickets going on general sale on Wednesday at 3pm.

Follow the links below to purchase tickets for the match of your choice:

23 July – Fulham v Brentford – Philadelphia

26 July – Fulham v Aston Villa – Orlando

30 July – Fulham v Chelsea – Landover

When prompted for a pre-sale code, enter FULUSA.

If you miss the pre-sale window, you will still be able to access tickets, although availability may be more limited once the General Sale is open.

Further details on the Summer Series can be found here.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/april/24/summer-series-tickets-pre-sale/

[WhiteJC]

Man Utd and Tottenham gatecrash perfect Liverpool deal for £60m star who's dominating the Premier League

Man Utd and Tottenham are 'ready to launch moves' for a dominant Premier League midfielder who four separate sources have all confirmed is wanted by Liverpool.

Midfield additions will be the order of the day over at Anfield this summer. Arthur Melo's loan will expire, while James Milner could yet join Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in leaving as free agents.

Fabrizio Romano reported "at least" two and more probably three new faces will arrive. Jude Bellingham won't be among them, though there's plenty of high calibre alternatives in Liverpool's sights.

Among them is Fulham's Joao Palhinha who has certainly made his mark in his first season in England.

Indeed, the Portugal international, 27, currently leads the league in the successful tackles metric this season. However, what makes his mark of 119 so impressive is the fact it's an incredible 30 tackles more than Tyler Adams and Moises Caicedo who are joint-second with 89.

Palhinha has been a one-man wrecking ball in Marco Silva's engine room this term. That type of steel and determination is exactly what Liverpool have lacked in central areas and four separate sources have confirmed Palhinha is on Liverpool's radar.

The Daily Mail, Sun and GiveMeSport have all declared Liverpool to hold an interest in a player who's made a mockery of his £20m transfer fee.

Football Insider backed up those claims earlier in April when noting the Reds are 'regularly scouting' the Fulham destroyer.

However, according to a fresh update from FI, Liverpool might soon be caught on their heels when it comes to a Palhinha transfer this summer.

The online outlet states Tottenham and Man Utd are 'ready to launch moves' for Palhinha at season's end. Chelsea too get a mention, though they're expected to prioritise signing a new centre-forward first.

FI add Fulham are well aware Palhinha will be a man in demand this summer and are duly bracing themselves for offers.

Given Palhinha's awesome displays this term, it stands to reason Fulham would much rather retain a player who's still under contract for another four years.

However, the Sun reported offers in the region of £60m could be too good to ignore and Fulham have already begun lining up a replacement in the form of FC Porto veteran, Mateus Uribe.

If Palhinha does get the greenlight to leave Craven Cottage this summer, Liverpool certainly won't have a move for a player who looks tailor-made for a Klopp midfield all their own way.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/man-utd-tottenham-gatecrash-perfect-liverpool-deal-60m-fulham-star-dominating-premier-league

[WhiteJC]

Tottenham rival Chelsea, Manchester United in Joao Palhinha pursuit

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in acquiring the services of 27-year-old Joao Palhinha amidst interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Joao Palhinha ahead of next season. The 27-year-old has impressed in his first season in the Premier League. And, there are quite a few clubs interested in acquiring his services.

Palhinha has come through the ranks at Sporting CP after joining them back in the winter of 2013. His impressive performances for the Portuguese club resulted in Fulham's interest in the 27-year-old. The Cottagers paid around £20 million ahead of the ongoing season to sign him.

The Portugal international has gone from strength to strength in the ongoing season. And, just a year after joining Fulham, he might be on the move to a bigger club given the amount of interest in him. The former Sporting midfielder has featured in 33 matches and has scored four goals in the ongoing season.

He has been one of the best players for the Fulham side who are currently 9th on the league table. Meanwhile, Premier League clubs Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United are keen on signing him.

Chelsea have acquired quite a few players over the last few transfer windows. But, they have failed to produce the results on the pitch. The Blues are expected to offload a few of their players before pushing for new ones. They have the Portugal international on their radar. His performances have impressed the people at the club and they believe he could be an immediate fix for them.

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are also in the mix. Ten Hag wants more depth in the centre of the park. A few of their midfielders might be shown the exit door in the summer. They want to add more quality to their ranks as they look to push for the Premier League title next season.

Ten Hag is a big admirer of the 27-year-old, his addition could allow them to rotate their midfield and still maintain the quality. Meanwhile, Tottenham are willing to challenge both Chelsea as well as United for the services of the 27-year-old midfielder.

While Spurs are without a manager at this point in time, they have already started planning for the summer. And, signing a new midfielder is one of their priorities. Tottenham are keen on adding Joao Palhinha to their ranks. The London club want to add depth to their midfield and believe Palhinha could solve quite a few of their headaches. He could contribute to the defensive as well as offensive output.

With three top Premier League clubs ready to push for his services in the summer, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2023/04/26/tottenham-rival-chelsea-manchester-united-in-joao-palhinha-pursuit/

[hovewhite]

Think Marco decrees whether he leaves or not as he has a 4year contract.
Clubs may want him,but if he's not there how many pionts does it cost the club.