Arsenal have reportedly switch attention towards Fulham midfielder, Joao Palhinha after learning Aston Villa’s humongous price tag on Douglas Luiz.
As Mikel Arteta looks to add a new defensive midfielder in January, Luiz continues to be his top choice, but Villa are adamant that he is not up for grabs.
Arsenal have now turned their attention to Palhinha as a result of Unai Emery’s team’s outrageous asking price of £110 million (€128 million), which was disclosed by FootballTransfers in early December.
The Portugal international was close to completing a summer transfer move to Bayern Munich. But on Transfer Deadline Day, the deal fell through, and he instead inked a new contract with Fulham in mid-September.
The former Sporting CP midfielder is currently under contract with the Craven Cottage team through 2028.
However, a departure is expected in 2024, as Bayern plans to launch another move for his signature. But, it appears that Arsenal have entered the race to sign Palhinha, and the Gunners have had internal discussions about the prospect of acquiring the Fulham star in the January transfer window.
The 28-year-old is thought to be available for a fee of about £50 million (€58 million), which is substantially less than what Luiz would cost.
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After his stellar debut season at Fulham last season, Palhinha was also linked to Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
The 28-year-old midfielder helped the Cottagers place 10th in the Premier League standings with three goals in 35 league games.
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