Arsenal have 'higher priorities' than Joao Palhinha signing

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·9 Desember 2023

Arsenal have 'higher priorities' than Joao Palhinha signing

Arsenal could pull off a 'surprise' by luring Fulham star Joao Palhinha to the Emirates Stadium next month, but journalist Paul Brown has told GIVEMESPORT that boss Mikel Arteta has 'higher priorities' heading into the winter transfer window.

Having missed out on the Premier League title by five points last season, the Gunners were not afraid to splash the cash as they parted with more than £200million during the summer in a bid to strengthen their squad and go one step further.

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Among those arrivals was Declan Rice, who sealed a club-record £105million switch from London rivals West Ham United, but Arteta appears to have his eye on acquiring another defensive midfielder in the coming weeks.

Palhinha attracting widespread interest

Multiple Premier League clubs are preparing to battle it out with Bayern Munich to land Palhinha, according to the Telegraph, after his admirers have not been put off by his decision to sign a new Fulham contract in September.

The report suggests the reigning Bundesliga champions remain keen on signing the Portugal international, having agreed a deal worth in the region of £55million before the deal collapsed during the final stages of the summer window, but they are facing fresh competition ahead of potentially trying their luck again at the turn of the year.

It has emerged that Arsenal are among the sides keen to offer Palhinha a route out of Craven Cottage after he has adjusted to the rigours of the Premier League seamlessly, although it is more likely that they will wait until the end of the season before possibly heading to the negotiating table.

The 28-year-old is also on Newcastle United's radar, having previously featured on head of recruitment Steve Nickson’s list of targets, as they look to find a replacement for Sandro Tonali after he was handed a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

But transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Palhinha is eager to complete a move to Bayern next month, with his representatives being confident that a switch to the Allianz Arena is on the horizon after being left frustrated on Deadline Day in September.

The former Sporting man has given his admirers hope of being able to tempt him away from Fulham after casting doubt over his future by conceding he is unaware of what the future holds despite signing a contract extension a matter of months ago.

Paul Brown update - Joao Palhinha

Brown is puzzled by Arsenal being in the hunt for Palhinha's signature as he has similar attributes to England international Rice and would cost a considerable sum after Fulham initially slapped a £90million price tag on him during the summer.

The respected reporter believes Arteta should be focusing on strengthening his options in other areas of the pitch instead of attempting to swoop in for the defensive midfielder, whose £80,000-per-week contract has more than four-and-a-half years to run.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT:

"It makes no sense to me that Arsenal would want Joao Palhinha. They bought Declan Rice in the summer for a huge amount of money, and he is a very similar profile of player. "Palhinha would cost them almost as much, and I don't think there is a huge need for another player like that in the Arsenal team. "I think there are higher priorities that Arsenal should be focusing on, so it would surprise me if they were to put down a big bid for Joao Palhinha at this point."

Arsenal face stumbling block in Luiz pursuit

Arsenal will have to shatter their transfer record if they want to acquire Douglas Luiz as Aston Villa are attempting to fend off suitors by demanding £110million, according to FootballTransfers, but the north Londoners are unwilling to meet that figure.

The report suggests the Gunners had been hoping to strike a deal for the Brazilian, who has been on the Villans' books since sealing a £15million switch from Manchester City in 2019, after they were informed by their Premier League counterparts that they could alter their stance over whether to cash in if a lucrative fee is put on the table.

Although it is understood that Arteta and sporting director Edu are long-term admirers of Luiz, an additional strumbling block is likely to come in the form of their target being committed to his current employers at this stage.

Arsenal attempted to lure the defensive midfielder away from the Midlands during the final hours of last year's summer transfer window, but Villa held firm and rejected three bids worth up to £25million, resulting in them having to turn their attentions elsewhere.

But, in a potential boost for the Gunners, Sunday People chief sports writer Neil Moxley recently told GIVEMESPORT that .