Bayern Munich are said to have made a £50 million proposal for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.
Throughout the summer transfer window, head coach Thomas Tuchel has been eager to put his stamp on a team that barely defended its Bundesliga title in 2022-23.
Daniel Peretz, Raphael Guerreiro, Kim Min-Jae, Konrad Laimer, and Harry Kane have all moved to the Allianz Arena to replace players who have left for greener pastures.
However, Tuchel’s midfield options remain unknown, with Ryan Gravenberch appearing to be on his way to Liverpool before Friday’s transfer deadline.
Although the Netherlands international has not risen through the ranks under Tuchel, he remains a capable replacement, and Bayern would be forced to act if he departed for Anfield.
Bayern has been connected with a number of players in recent days, notably Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher and the versatile Trevoh Chalobah.
Nonetheless, according to The Telegraph, the German behemoths have chosen to focus their efforts on completing a transaction for Palhinha.
According to the source, a £50 million bid has been made to test Fulham’s commitment over a player considered to be their main player.
Palhinha, who cost over £20 million last summer, has five goals from 43 games, the most recent of which was an equaliser at Arsenal on Saturday, but it is his muscular presence and tackling abilities that make him so important to Marco Silva’s side.
While the Cottagers manager would love to keep the 28-year-old, Palhinha is thought to be keen on going to Bayern before the end of the transfer window on Friday.
Fulham will only allow Palhinha to leave at this stage of the summer window if they can find a suitable replacement, according to transfer analyst Fabrizio Romano.
Fulham presently have Harrison Reed, Sasa Lukic, Andreas Pereira, and Tom Cairney as their centre midfield options.
Alex Iwobi has been bought from Everton and can play in a midfield three, but he lacks Palhinha’s defensive ability.
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