Thursday Fulham Stuff - 04/05/23...

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Wednesday
Liverpool	1-0	Fulham
Man City	3-0	West Ham

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Liverpool 1-0 Fulham

Liverpool recorded a first clean sheet since drawing at Chelsea on 4 April

Liverpool's chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League are not realistic despite a fifth straight win, says boss Jurgen Klopp.

The in-form Reds, who only have four matches left, moved four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United after Mohamed Salah's penalty sunk Fulham at Anfield.

However, United have two games in hand on fifth-placed Liverpool - including one at eighth-placed Brighton on Thursday - kick-off 20:00 BST.

Only leaders Manchester City have taken more points from the last six matches than Liverpool, but Klopp played down his side's chances of sneaking into the top four.

"No. I don't feel it like that but it means nothing. It's about probabilities," said the Reds boss when asked whether finishing fourth was now realistic.

"If Newcastle and Manchester United win all their games, we have no chance. If Brighton win all their games, they are ahead of us. That's the situation. We just have to win our games and see where it takes us.

"At the moment I'm happy with our direction. We just have to keep going and in the end we'll look at the table and take what we can get."

Salah scored for the eighth home game in a row as Liverpool maintained their flourishing late-season form.

The Egypt forward beat Bernd Leno from the penalty spot in the 39th-minute after Darwin Nunez was fouled by Issa Diop.

However, it required an outstanding one-handed save by Liverpool's Brazil keeper Alisson in the 77th-minute to keep out countryman Carlos Vinicius.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz in sparkling form, Liverpool created a string of chances but were unable to add to their lead before Fulham threatened after half-time.

Despite defeat, the Cottagers remain on course for a first top-10 Premier League finish since 2011-12.

Salah's remarkable scoring form continues
The last time Salah failed to score in a game at Anfield was way back on 21 January, while he now has 99 in all competition's at Liverpool's iconic home.

He is the first Liverpool player to score in eight consecutive home appearances since Luis Suarez did so between April 2013 and January 2014.

Having missed from the spot recently against Bournemouth and Arsenal, he has now scored penalties in back-to-back games to help maintain Liverpool's winning momentum.

With just 12 points to play for, Liverpool might have left themselves too much to do in terms of sealing a top-four spot but Klopp's side are certainly finishing the season strongly.

Alexander-Arnold has come in for criticism this season but he was at his outstanding best registering three attempts - including one on target - while Diaz earned a standing ovation for his work in a move which saw Salah fire over the bar in the second-half.

The thrills and spills of recent performances might have been missing on this occasion but the Reds produced a first clean sheet win since putting seven past Manchester United on 5 March.

The game was in the balance right until the end, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid going close to equalising in the 94th-minute, but in the end Liverpool were able to celebrate another win.

Fulham give Liverpool a scare
Fulham pushed the Reds all the way and would have taken something back to London but for two excellent saves by Alisson to keep out Vinicius.

Having thwarted the forward with a diving stop early in the game, Alisson bravely denied Vinicius inside the six-yard box as Fulham finished strongly.

Harry Wilson was also lively against his former club but Fulham have now lost eight of their past 10 matches in all competitions, winning the other two.

Despite that run, it has still been an impressive first season back in the Premier League for the Cottagers and they were the better team in the second-half at Anfield.

This, however, was their third straight defeat and manager Marco Silva, who described the decision to award the penalty "embarrassing", will demand the season does not fizzle out.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64923724

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Post-Liverpool Press Conference

Marco Silva's first question fielded in his post-match press conference was about the game-winning penalty for Liverpool.

Asked if it's 'difficult to lose in that manner,' Silva replied: "Let's talk first about the whole game, and after I will give my thoughts on it.

"Clearly we deserved more from the game. For me it's clear. We knew when we came here that Liverpool were in a very good run, unbeaten last six, four wins in a row.

"We had some problems, and off the ball they created some problems for us. They play too many times inside our block and we planned to be a little bit more compact, we had some problems in certain areas, they arrive sometimes too easy in certain areas, that we didn't like.

"But first 25 minutes, I have to say that we did well on the ball. Every time we took the ball from the press and we attacked them.

"I think we created good moments and probably the chances could be even more clear if the last decision was different. Harry Wilson had two good moments – the first moment he should analyse that situation much better. Very good save from Alisson with that chance from Vinicius as well.

"Of course, Liverpool had their chances, and good chances, during the first half, always dangerous moments around our box, more possession than us.

"But coming to half-time losing 1-0, the way they scored the goal, I have to say that it's embarrassing. To give the penalty like that, and after the VAR didn't [change] that penalty, I cannot understand this, it's difficult really to understand. It's difficult, almost impossible to understand that penalty.

"Second half [there was a] reaction from ourselves, and some good moments from Liverpool as well. Middle of the second half they started to lose many, many balls in some moments and we explored some good counter attacks as well.

"I think we had two clear chances – great save from Alisson in that one-v-one situation with Vinicius, a good counter attack from us, and last minute the chance for Bobby.

"Liverpool had their chances as well during the second half but, looking overall for the game, I think we deserve much more.

"And to lose in that manner, as you said, is really difficult for us to understand, but we cannot control that situation and I prefer to focus on what I can control."

Silva was asked what Issa Diop's take was on the pivotal moment.

"Of course Issa told me that it's clearly not a penalty," he said. "And I can even tell you that Issa spoke with the referee during the second half, and I know what the referee said to Issa as well.

"For us it's clearly not a penalty, and then VAR should not allow that decision."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/may/03/post-liverpool-press-conference/

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The two x-rated chants Fulham fans aimed at Harvey Elliott during LFC clash

It's fair to say that neither Harvey Elliott nor Fabio Carvalho were likely to be received well by Fulham's travelling fans following their respective switches to the red half of Merseyside.

The former was directly addressed by the support in question during Liverpool's encounter with the Cottagers, with the Echo's Theo Squires relaying both chants on Twitter.

"Harvey Elliott, you're a w****r!" chant the travelling Fulham fans as he goes out to warm up.#LFC #LIVFULhttps://t.co/hTIYo0IPa2

— Theo Squires (@TheoSquiresECHO) May 3, 2023

"You're just a s**t Harry Wilson!" is the next chant from the Fulham fans to Elliott.#LFC #LIVFULhttps://t.co/hTIYo0IPa2

— Theo Squires (@TheoSquiresECHO) May 3, 2023

The former's enjoyed a relatively impressive showing this term despite the turmoil of the campaign, though the same can't necessarily be said of the latter who has struggled for minutes since the first-half of the season elapsed.

In fairness to Carvalho, the time was hardly right to hand minutes to a youngster whilst we were struggling to achieve some kind of equilibrium in a midfield utterly lacking in fight and intensity.

Perhaps the opportunities will prove more forthcoming next year should the consistency we've built up in the latter stages of the season be carried into 2023/24.

That being said, we could understand decision-makers feeling inclined to ship out the former Fulham Academy product on loan – a similar route favoured for Elliott at Blackburn Rovers – to ensure his development doesn't fall short.



https://www.empireofthekop.com/2023/05/03/x-rated-chants-aimed-at-elliott/

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Cairney: Frustrating Decision

Tom Cairney was left annoyed that the only difference between Fulham and Liverpool was a contentious penalty.

The Reds were awarded the spot-kick when Darwin Nunez went down in the proximity of Issa Diop, but replays suggested that the centre-back managed to avoid contact.

"I thought we played very well at times, but to lose to a penalty that wasn't a penalty is always a kick in the you-know-whats," Cairney said.

"At the time, I wasn't sure [if it was a penalty]. The ref made a decision, I thought he'd seen contact. I asked him on the pitch, 'please just make sure they check it.'

"He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn't a penalty, so it's frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.

"Issa Diop hasn't touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we're trying to climb as high as we can."

Fulham posed a significant goal threat throughout the contest, with Carlos Vinicius twice thwarted by Alisson, while Bobby De Cordova-Reid almost snatched a dramatic equaliser with the last kick of the game.

"We got stronger as the game went on, and then as you saw in the second half, there was only one team looking to score," Cairney stated. "We missed a couple of chances where we could have done better, but we pushed a top class team all the way.

"We've made massive, massive strides this season, which people didn't expect us to, so we can take a lot of positives from that moving forward."

Asked how big a difference this season has been compared to our previous Premier League campaigns, our skipper replied: "Enormous, enormous.

"If we said we'd be above Chelsea after 34 games at the start of the season, people wouldn't have believed us. We're in the top half, and we deserve to be.

"Honestly, performance-wise, we've done really well all season. A newly promoted team coming to Anfield and pushing to score at 1-0 down in the 90th minute, shows how far we've come.

"We've just said in [the changing room] we've got four games left, four cup finals. We've set our own targets in our minds, our goals for the football club, and we're looking to do that."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/may/03/cairney-frustrating-decision/

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Marco Silva slams 'embarrassing' penalty decision as Fulham lose at Liverpool

Fulham manager Marco Silva could not believe the penalty decision given to Liverpool in the 1-0 defeat at Anfield, saying it was an 'embarrassing' call from the officials.

Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the match from the spot-kick after Issa Diop was adjudged to have brought down Darwin Nunez late in the first half.

It was a strange incident but one that Silva was certain should not have resulted in the referee pointing to the spot.

'That penalty, when you lose a game in football to that penalty, is embarrassing, I have to say,' said the Fulham boss. 'When you have the referee then the VAR to help the referee, it is embarrassing.

'Great attitude from the players with a desire to work and get an equaliser. Liverpool had chances as well in the second half. I have to say again I am proud of this group of players as we showed our character and personality. We fought until the end.

'I didn't speak with the referee. I think my players and everyone that is honest will say the same. I will listen over the next few days if it is a harsh decision but for me it is clearly not a penalty. The player is already in the air.'

Fulham captain Tom Cairney was also baffled by the decision, insisting that Diop made no contact with the Uruguayan forward.

'I asked [the referee] on the pitch to check it [with VAR]. He said they checked it. It's frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision,' said Cairney.

'He hasn't touched him. It's frustrating when we're trying to climb the table as high as we can.'

Liverpool stay fifth in the table, moving within four points of Manchester United in fourth, although the Red Devils have two games in hand.



https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/03/marco-silva-slams-embarrassing-penalty-decision-as-fulham-lose-at-liverpool-18719722/?ito=newsnow-feed

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Fulham pay the penalty
Another midweek trip to a side chasing European football and another agonising defeat. For Villa Park last week, see Anfield this time around – although not really. Whereas Fulham struggled to put Aston Villa under a lot of pressure after conceding a cheap goal from a set piece, the Whites were far more adventurous against a Liverpool outfit that struggled to match the intensity of their recent four wins in a row and only succumbed to the softest of penalty awards.

It rankled with Marco Silva and the Fulham players because although Issa Diop dallied in possession and was put under pressure by Darwin Nunez, the home forward was already on his way down before the French defender's leg came close to making any contact with the Uruguayan and the replays suggested any touch was negligible. Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot in a hurry and Stockley Park concurred with the referee's decision, allowing Mo Salah to drill the spot-kick down the centre of Bernd Leno's goal and give the hosts an advantage they scarcely merited.

Liverpool had created the clearer chances until that point and enjoyed the majority of possession, but Fulham were resolute, shrugging off the season-ending injuries suffered by centre back Tim Ream and number ten Andreas Pereira on Sunday. They were stubborn at the back but always offered a threat going forward. Carlos Vinicius followed his fine strike against Manchester City by leading the line intelligently and was only denied an equaliser by a brilliant save from Alisson after the Brazilian had used quick feet to fashion a shooting chance in the box following fine approach play from Willian. Harry Wilson failed to haunt his former employers in the first half by squaring when he should have shot and substitute Bobby Decordova-Reid shot over on the stretch at the very end after Dan James' pace opened up the Liverpool defence.

This was another plucky defeat that shows just how far Fulham have come since Silva took over the reigns of a relegated and unhappy squad from Scott Parker twenty two months ago. There was a degree of rotation after the Whites had pushed City all the way only four days ago. Diop and Tom Cairney, who had an excellent game in Pereira's position, came in for Ream and the former Manchester United man whilst Cedric Soares replaced Kenny Tete at right back, Sasa Lukic slotted into Harrison Reed's roaming midfield role and Willian returned on the left wing.

Wilson was unselfish in looking to locate Vinicius in the six-yard box when he could quite easily have gone for goal himself after a lovely lofted ball from the back sent him clear in the inside right position and Virgil van Dijk was relieved to be able to clear the danger. After Trent Alexander-Arnold had tested Bernd Leno's handling and sent another effort whistling wide, Fulham's finest passing move of the match culminated in Vinicius rolling off van Dijk and hitting a curler towards the top corner only for Alisson to tip it over the bar. From the ensuing corner, Willian's ambitious attempt floated harmlessly high and into the Kop.

A watchable and open first period delivered further opportunities at either end. Salah scampered away from the attentions of Diop but shot over and Cedric did brilliantly to deflect a a low drive from Luis Diaz off target. Joao Palhinha, powerful in the tackle as ever, had a couple of sights of goal in quick succession: his backheel from a clever Cedric cross briefly caused alarm in the Liverpool penalty area, although the Portuguese international was furious with himself after wasting a shooting chance by blazing over when space opened up 30 yards out.

The Whites were well in the game but Diop's decision to dwell on the ball inside his own box just before the break proved incredibly costly. Nunez was alive to the chance to steal possession and a penalty and that is exactly what he got, despite replays showing that the contact was far less substantial than the forward's fall made it appear. Salah coolly converted the penalty and a fuming Fulham went in a goal down at the interval.

The lead galvanised the hosts at the start of the second half, with Salah spurning a couple of good openings, but Fulham probed patiently – even if unlocking the home defence was proving problematic. Silva sent on Neeskens Kebano, Decordova-Reid and Harrison Reed but it was a move along the left involving three of the starters that nearly produced an equaliser. Former Everton trainee Antonee Robinson took a quick throw and Willian's pace and trickery took him away from Alexander-Arnold. A low ball located Vinicius in the area and the striker's fancy footwork befuddled Jordan Henderson before Alisson pulled off an excellent reaction save.

Vinicius berated himself by screaming into the air but such opprobrium was hardly merited. The chances were coming more quickly now as Fulham grew in confidence. A clever reverse ball from Kebano appeared to have released Decordova-Reid but Alisson was off his line quickly to get there first. The Jamaican international looked lively in the number ten role and burst onto a ball from Manor Solomon but van Dijk prevented his cutback from flashing across goal. It was Decordova-Reid who had the chance to earn a point right at the end of stoppage time after Solomon had sent James surging along the left but his shot on the stretch sailed into the Anfield Road end.

So near – and yet so far for Fulham.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas (Robertson 66), van Dijk, Konate; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones (Milner 84); Diaz (Gakpo 66), Salah (Elliott 84), Nunez (Jota 83). Subs (not used): Kelleher, Matip, Gomez, Carvalho.

GOAL: Salah (pen 39).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Cedric Soares, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Diop; Palhinha, Lukic (Reed 71); Wilson (Kebano 71), Willian (James 80), Cairney (Decordova-Reid 71); Vinicius (Solomon 80). Subs (not used): Rodak, Tete, Duffy, Harris.

REFEREE: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/05/fulham-pay-the-penalty/

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Silva slates soft penalty award
Marco Silva's response to immediately being asked about the award of the match-turning penalty in his post-match press conference at Anfield last night was measured.

Perhaps the Fulham head coach was wary of another disciplinary hearing after his criticism of Chris Kavanagh, but Silva first made plain his pride that Fulham had pushed another of the country's top teams all the way four days after falling to a slender defeat at home to Manchester City.

    "Let's talk first about the whole game, and after I will give my thoughts on it. Clearly, we deserved more from the game. We knew when we came here that Liverpool were in a very good run, unbeaten last six, four wins in a row. We had some problems, and off the ball they created some problems for us. They play too many times inside our block and we planned to be a little bit more compact, we had some problems in certain areas, they arrive sometimes too easy in certain areas, that we didn't like.

    But first 25 minutes, I have to say that we did well on the ball. Every time we took the ball from the press and we attacked them. I think we created good moments and probably the chances could be even more clear if the last decision was different. Harry Wilson had two good moments – the first moment he should analyse that situation much better. Very good save from Alisson with that chance from Vinicius as well.

    Of course, Liverpool had their chances, and good chances, during the first half, always dangerous moments around our box, more possession than us. But coming to half-time losing 1-0, the way they scored the goal, I have to say that it's embarrassing. To give the penalty like that, and after the VAR didn't [change] that penalty, I cannot understand this, it's difficult really to understand. It's difficult, almost impossible to understand that penalty.

    To lose in that manner is really difficult for us to understand, but we cannot control that situation and I prefer to focus on what I can control. Issa told me that it's clearly not a penalty. I can even tell you that Issa spoke with the referee during the second half, and I know what the referee said to Issa as well. For us it's clearly not a penalty, and then VAR should not allow that decision."

Silva was pleased with how Fulham responded to going behind with a performance that kept Liverpool on edge until the last.

    "Second half [there was] a reaction from ourselves and some good moments from Liverpool as well. Middle of the second half they started to lose many, many balls in some moments and we explored some good counter attacks as well. I think we had two clear chances – great save from Alisson in that one-v-one situation with Vinicius, a good counter attack from us, and last minute the chance for Bobby. Looking overall at the game, I think we deserved much more."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/05/silva-slates-soft-penalty-award/

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Diop didn't touch Nunez, says Cairney
Tom Cairney insisted that Issa Diop didn't touch Darwin Nunez for the controversial penalty that cost Fulham a point at Anfield last night.

Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot after the Liverpool forward went to ground after looking to pinch possession from the French defender in the area, but television replays showed there was scant contact between the two. The decision spot – and Mo Salah scored the only goal of the game – something that incensed Fulham's players, who protested vigorously to Attwell at the time.

Captain Cairney, who played more than seventy minutes in place of the injured Andreas Pereira, was particularly frustrated.

I thought we played very well at times, but to lose to a penalty that wasn't a penalty is always a kick in the you-know-whats. At the time, I wasn't sure. The ref made a decision, I thought he'd seen contact. I asked him on the pitch, 'please just make sure they check it.

He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn't a penalty, so it's frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision. Issa Diop hasn't touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we're trying to climb as high as we can.

The Scottish midfielder insisted he was proud of Fulham's display last night – and that of how Marco Silva's side have risen to the challenge of competing in the top flight.

We've made massive, massive strides this season, which people didn't expect us to, so we can take a lot of positives from that moving forward. We're in the top half and we deserve to be. If we said we'd be above Chelsea after 34 games at the start of the season, people wouldn't have believed us.

Honestly, performance-wise, we've done really well all season. We've just said we've got four games left, four cup finals. We've set our own targets in our minds, our goals for the football club, and we're looking to do that."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/05/diop-didnt-touch-nunez-says-cairney/

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Referee admitted Liverpool shouldn't have been awarded a penalty against Fulham, claims midfielder Tom Cairney

Fulham captain Tom Cairney claims referee Stuart Attwell admitted midway through a meeting with Liverpool that he got a big penalty call wrong.

    Cottagers held their own at Anfield
    Spot-kick proved to be decisive
    Salah made no mistake from 12 yards

WHAT HAPPENED? The Cottagers held their own for long periods against the top four-chasing Reds at Anfield, but were ultimately undone by a 39th-minute spot-kick from Mohamed Salah. That decision was made when Darwin Nunez went down in the box under pressure from Issa Diop, but replays suggest that the Fulham defender managed to avoid contact with the Uruguayan forward and that VAR intervention should have reversed a big call. Cairney claims that Attwell conceded as much during the second half on Merseyside.

WHAT THEY SAID: The Cottagers midfielder has told his club's official website of a surprising admission from the match officials during a frustrating evening out on the road: "I thought we played very well at times, but to lose to a penalty that wasn't a penalty is always a kick in the you-know-whats. At the time, I wasn't sure [if it was a penalty]. The ref made a decision, I thought he'd seen contact. I asked him on the pitch, 'please just make sure they check it.' He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn't a penalty, so it's frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision. Issa Diop hasn't touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we're trying to climb as high as we can."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 2022-23 Premier League season has been littered with instances of match official and VAR teams getting big decisions wrong, with PGMOL having to offer apologies to those that have been impacted by some questionable decision making.

WHAT NEXT? Liverpool's win in midweek has kept them in the hunt for a top-four finish, as they sit four points adrift of Manchester United in the last Champions League qualification spot, while Fulham remain in 10th place after enjoying a productive run on the back of promotion in 2021-22.



https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/referee-admitted-liverpool-shouldnt-awarded-penalty-fulham-tom-cairney/bltce1f84915e16cdcb

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Ex West Ham player involved in truly farcical penalty decision for Liverpool vs Fulham at Anfield

An ex West Ham player was involved in a truly farcical penalty decision for Liverpool vs Fulham at Anfield last night.

West Ham allowed Issa Diop to join Fulham in the summer, and the 6ft 4in centre-back was involved in a shocking penalty decision that went the way of Liverpool last night.

Despite his struggles for the Hammers, Diop has actually made a big impression with Fulham, and has proven to be a steal for them on the most part for just £15 million.

The 26-year-old always had the ability but his poor concentration levels and lack of consistency really held him back at the London Stadium.

I still believe he will one day make a top class centre-back. Diop put in a brilliant performance against Liverpool last night but ended up being the person who lost his side the game – really unfairly so...

Ex West Ham player involved in truly farcical penalty decision for Liverpool vs Fulham at Anfield
Liverpool were headed an unbelievably soft penalty in the 39th minute last night, after a blatant dive from Darwin Nunez – one that was dispatched by Mo Salah.

Marco Silva described the blatant dive from Nunez as 'embarrassing' (Independent). And he's right, it really was pathetic. Judge for yourself how bad it was from the Uruguayan:

Liverpool penalty vs Fulham... clear dive... so rigged 💀 pic.twitter.com/tHluhFhcYQ

— 💙 (@Everton_Nerd4) May 3, 2023

I feel really sorry for Issa Diop there. He had a great game for Fulham by all accounts against Liverpool, but ended up being the one who cost his side the game.

Some of the decisions given by Premier League officials this season have actually been embarrassingly bad.

Surely it's time that we start importing the very best officials from abroad.

However, whether that would change anything with the powers that be at the top of the Premier League tree running things is debatable in all fairness.

Diop and the Fulham fans must have been gutted last night. It was a stinking decision and one that we seem to be seeing far too regularly.



https://www.hammers.news/news/ex-west-ham-player-involved-in-truly-farcical-penalty-decision-for-liverpool-vs-fulham-at-anfield/

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Joao Palhinha: Fulham slap £50m+ price tag on star - sources

Fulham will demand offers in excess of £50million for Liverpool and Bayern Munich target Joao Palhinha this summer, sources have told Football Insider.

This site revealed on Wednesday (3 May) that Bayern are ready to join the race for the 27-year-old's signature after scouting him in-person last month.

Premier League giants Liverpool, Tottenham, Man United and Chelsea are also interested in Palhinha following his outstanding debut season in England.

Interest from Bayern Munich means it is unlikely to be a straightforward race for any of England's elite clubs.

Fulham boss Marco Silva hopes to keep Palhinha at Craven Cottage but is bracing for massive interest in the summer window.

Sources with knowledge of the midfielder's situation have revealed that the chance to play for one of Europe's elite sides is likely to be too good to turn down.

The Cottagers are hopeful of securing a huge profit on Palhinha after signing him from Sporting CP for a reported £20million just last summer (2022).

He has four years left to run on his reported £50,000-a-week contract.

Palhinha has been a mainstay in the Fulham side in their first season back in the Premier League, making 35 appearances across all competitions and scoring four goals.

According to FBRef, Palhinha has made the most tackles of any top-flight player this term (122) – well ahead of highly-rated midfield duo Tyler Adams and Moises Caicedo.

The midfield ace is no stranger to playing at the top level, having amassed 20 caps for Portugal – and making three appearances at the 2022 World Cup.

He also racked up 20 appearances in the Champions League and Europa League during his spells with Sporting and Braga.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/joao-palhinha-fulham-slap-50m-price-tag-on-star-sources/