West Ham United have received a setback in their transfer pursuit of Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha – they will need to pay at least £90 million to bring him to the London Stadium, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

Fulham do not feel they are in a position where they need to sell their best players – additionally, Palhinha is under contract with the Cottagers until June 2027.

In addition to this, West Ham could face strong competition for Palhinha’s signature. Over the past few months, the Portuguese midfielder has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

With so many big hitters believed to be in the race to snap Palhinha up, the Hammers cannot afford to rest on their laurels – or they could find themsleves with a gap in their squad for the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

What would Joao Palhinha add to West Ham United’s squad?

Joao Palhinha is currently one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. He would be an excellent replacement for the outgoing Declan Rice – but it should be noted that there are key differences between the two players.

Palhinha is a more defensive-minded holding player than Rice. He is no stranger to full-blooded challenges – last season, he picked up a total of 14 yellow cards, more than anyone else in the division.

In theory, following the sale of Rice, West Ham should be able to afford the steep asking price set by Fulham. However, it would also mean putting all their eggs in one basket – if Palhinha’s hypothetical move does not work out, it could have disastrous consequences in both the long and short term.

Joao Palhinha football career summary so far

Born in 1995, Palhinha spent time in the youth academies of Alta de Lisboa and Sacavenense before making the jump to Sporting Lisbon in 2012.

He signed his first senior contract with the club in 2016 – he went on to make 72 appearances for Verde e brancos, scoring four goals, before moving to Fulham in 2022 for a fee of £20 million. Since then, he has attracted attention from across Europe – will he be an Irons player next season?