TalkSport’s Alex Crook has revealed the chances of Wolverhampton Wanderers securing the signature of Sporting Club midfielder Palhinha this summer.
It isn’t the first time that the midfielder has been linked with the club, as admitted by Crook. But, this time, the links are stronger, as revealed by Crook, who told GiveMeSport: “They get linked with Palhinha every summer and in the past it’s always been shot down, but when his name came up again, my contact close to the club was a bit warmer about it, so that is a goer this summer, where I don’t think it has been in the past.”
As reported by Jordan Davies The Sun, the Midlands club were close to landing the Portugal player at the start of the month, but, two weeks later, and a deal is yet to come to fruition.
With Joao Moutinho’s contract reaching its expiry this month, and Ruben Neves linked with move away this summer, securing another central midfielder must be a priority for Bruno Lage, therefore leaving Palhinha as a serious option.
TIF Thoughts on Palhinha…
The stats suggest that Palhinha, although tipped to replace Neves if he decides to leave this summer, is a far more robust option.
According to Squawka, Palhinha made more tackles, and had a better ground and aerial duel success rate than Neves last season. Meanwhile, Neves completed more take-ons, played more forward passes, and attempted more through balls. So, considering the numbers, it could be fair to say that Palhinha wouldn’t necessarily be a like-for-like replacement if he came in.
It would certainly be an interesting watch, seeing Lage go from the elegance of Neves to a far rougher diamond in Palhinha. As things stand, though, the midfielder remains a Sporting Club player, with an entire summer ahead to potentially make a move.