Barcelona Have A Clear Path To Sign This Fulham Star: What Will He Bring To The Nou Camp? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Barcelona have a clear path to sign Fulham star Joao Palhinha. It is understood that Bayern Munich have dropped their interest in the Portuguese midfielder which could clear the way for the Catalan club to land him.

Palhinha’s Impressive Form In The Premier League This Season

Palhinha is having another solid campaign at the London club as he has put in a series of impressive displays at the centre of their midfield. The 28-year-old has scored two goals and grabbed one assist in 22 matches for Fulham this season across all fronts.

The Portuguese talent has anchored the midfield with conviction and deserves credit for averaging 5.0 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.8 clearances and 1.0 shots per game in the Premier League. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from midfield after completing 83.5% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at Craven Cottage will run out in the summer of 2028. Thus, it won’t be easy for Barca to get a deal done for him on the cheap this January or at the end of this campaign.

Fulham’s Portuguese midfielder #26 Joao Palhinha challenges Arsenal’s Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Fulham at the Emirates Stadium in London on August 26, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

What Will Palhinha Bring To Barcelona?

Palhinha is a tough-tackling midfielder who can scan the danger well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t hesitate to put his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive and can even strike the ball with venom from long range.

We can expect Palhinha to bring more quality to Barcelona boss Xavi’s midfield department. He has what it takes to nail down a regular starting spot at the Nou Camp and could help the Catalan club challenge for some major trophies over the next few years.

At 28, Palhinha is currently playing in his prime and would no doubt be an excellent signing for Barca if Xavi can find a way to get a deal done for him this winter or at the end of this season. However, only time will tell whether the Portugal international can make a smooth transition to life in Spain.

Still, Barca would be wise to move in for Palhinha as he would be a significant upgrade over Oriol Romeu at the Catalan club.