Jamie O’Hara has given a glowing appraisal to one midfielder with whom Liverpool have been linked as a potential replacement for Fabinho.
The Brazilian was omitted from the Reds’ squad which travelled to Germany at the weekend for a pre-season training camp, amid rumours of a possible £40m move to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
That’s also the fee West Ham are reportedly willing to pay for Joao Palhinha (talkSPORT), the Fulham midfielder in whom the Merseysiders are believed to be interested as well (Liverpool Echo).
Former Tottenham player O’Hara believes that supporters of the Portuguese star’s current club will be quite displeased with the transfer speculation surrounding the 28-year-old, saying on talkSPORT (6:53am, July 17, 2023), via HITC: “Fulham fans will not be happy. Top player.”
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If Liverpool find themselves in a situation where they need to replace Fabinho with a proven defensive midfielder, they could do a lot worse than Palhinha.
He’s already had plenty of exposure to the Premier League and Champions League (Transfermarkt), while the numbers show that he stands out as one of Europe’s finest in his position for a number of metrics.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of midfielders in the continent for tackles per game (4.26), while also putting his 6 foot 3 frame to good use by winning 2.06 aerial duels per match, placing him in the 92nd percentile for that quality among positional peers.
Former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp was effusive in his praise for Palhinha earlier this year, telling Sky Sports (via Sportskeeda): “He has been a brilliant signing [for] £20m. He has got a real knowledge and nous of where he should be. He picks the right pass. He has a real presence about him.”
At 28, the Reds would be signing someone who’s already at his peak rather than approaching it, but if they need a Premier League-proven number 6 to instantly replace Fabinho should the latter depart, then the Fulham powerhouse could be well worth an offer in the £40m-£50m bracket.
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