Fulham reject West Ham’s £45m for João Palhinha | OneFootball

According to Peter Rutlzer of The Athletic, Fulham have rejected a £45m bid for João Palhinha from West Ham.

The Hammers are looking to reinforce their midfield options for next season following the departure of their captain Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal for a club record sale of £105m, however, with their initial bid for Palhinha having been knocked back by their London rivals, they are not optimistic on signing the Portuguese international.

This is despite the bid being worth just over the midfielders €40m market valuation, according to Transfermarkt, and more than double the €20m (£17.4m) which The Cottagers paid Sporting Lisbon for the midfielder just last summer.

With his current contract having four years remaining, Marco Silva’s side are in a strong position in negotiations and are said to be keen on keeping the 28-year-old at Craven Cottage next season- who The 28-year-old was a pivotal figure in an impressive Fulham side last season. His excellent ability to read play and win possession was key in helping the 2021/22 EFL Championship winners achieve a 10th place finish in their return to the Premier League.

Furthermore, Palhinha’s potential departure is one of many transfers which could take place at Fulham this summer. Brazillian winger Willian is set to sign a new one-year deal, forwards Manor Solomon and Neeskens Kebano have already departed on free transfers, and Serbian target man Alexsander Mitrović has had a £35m bid from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal rejected by The London side.

Travis Levison | Get Football