Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update regarding Wolves’ long-standing pursuit of Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha.
The Lowdown: Fulham join the race
With the future of Ruben Neves still very much up in the air, Bruno Lage will be on the lookout for reinforcements to strengthen his midfield ahead of the start of the new season, and Wolves fans are likely fed up of hearing Palhinha's name at this point, such as been the extent of the links.
The 26-year-old is someone whose name has been circulating around Molineux for quite some time now, strongly linked with a move to the Premier League and even some reports in his homeland claiming a deal is agreed 'in principle'.
However, newly-promoted Fulham appear to have joined the race for the maestro late on, and following a fresh update, it seems as though Wolves will now have to battle it out with the Cottagers, who have now made their official move.
The Latest: Romano drops Palhinha update
Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Fulham have now come to an agreement with Sporting over the transfer of Palhinha, but the final decision will be made by the player ‘soon’. He wrote:
“Fulham have reached an agreement with Sporting for João Palhinha, fee around €18m plus add ons. It’s up to the player now, also tempted by Wolves proposal.
“Palhinha will make a decision soon.”
The Verdict: Another one?
After missing out on Marquinhos, who has now joined Arsenal, Lage will be keen to not let a second deal in Palhinha slip away, and it would be a disaster if Wolves were to miss out on two targets so early in the window.
The £22.5m-rated ace, who was once hailed an “artist” and "sensational player" by sports journalist Josh Bunting, averaged an 87.8% pass completion rate and made three tackles per Liga Portugal game last season, via WhoScored, highlighting his composure and ability to control a game from the middle of the park.
These attributes are exactly what the Midlands outfit need in a player if they want to have a real shot at making a push for a European spot without Neves' services, but they will just have to hope that Palhinha decides to commit his future to them rather than their new top-flight rivals.