Liverpool’s hopes of signing one reported transfer target this summer could now be in jeopardy after a setback for the player in pre-season.
The Reds are believed to be very keen on Joao Palhinha as they seek defensive midfield reinforcements to compensate for the likely departure of Fabinho to Al-Ittihad.
However, as per the Daily Mail, a summer move for the 28-year-old could now be off the cards after he dislocated his left shoulder during Fulham’s win over Brentford in Philadelphia, with the Cottagers waiting to discover the seriousness of the injury in terms of his length of absence.
With the player valued at £60m, that could see Liverpool back away from him if he faces a significant amount of time on the treatment table.
READ MORE: ‘Understand that…’ – Sky Sports reporter drops huge Romeo Lavia to Liverpool claim
Nobody wants to see a player suffering such a painful injury, and the most important thing here is that Palhinha makes a full recovery in the shortest time possible.
From a Liverpool perspective, it’d be a pity if they have to forego a move for an experienced engine room operator who ranked among the top 1% of positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues last season for tackles won, with a mammoth 4.26 per game (FBref).
The 28-year-old’s performances stood out to Jurgen Klopp, who described him as Fulham’s “connector” following the Reds’ narrow 1-0 win over Marco Silva’s team in May (LFC official website).
If Palhinha’s shoulder injury rules him out for a significant period of time, the Merseysiders would be compelled to remove him from their list of potential summer purchases, although their interest could be revisited in January if they still see a need for him then.
It’s not the most desirable situation but such is the reality of professional football. Liverpool have plenty of other targets they can focus upon, while we wish the Cottagers star a full and speedy recovery and hope he can be back playing as quickly as possible.
#Ep82 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Who do Liverpool replace Henderson & Fabinho with?
Why would we want to pay 60m for a player from Fulham who were relegated last season.. Wasn’t meant to be ….plenty of other targets..