West Ham United have the chance to sign a real powerhouse of a central midfielder this summer it seems.
However, West Ham should have secured a deal for him in 2023.
Graham Potter has a few serious issues that he needs to address at the London Stadium this summer.
However, it could be argued that his priority should be to add more athleticism and ball carrying ability to his central midfield department .
Fortunately, it has been claimed that those are two attributes Potter is desperate to bring to West Ham this summer.
And it seems like the Hammers head coach has one player in particular in mind for the job.
Joao Palhinha open to returning to Premier League to join West Ham
Palhinha said he received an offer from West Ham in the summer of 2023, but he remained with Fulham in the end.
The Hammers should have pushed harder to sign Joao Palhinha when he was 27, He’ll be 30 this summer now.
Bayern Munich signed the 29-year-old from Fulham in the summer of 2024 for around £46.5 million (BBC).
However, he has struggled with the Bavarian giants, and has made only six Bundesliga starts this season.
Now, Christian Falk has claimed via BILD that he could be tempted into moving back to the Premier League this summer to join West Ham.
West Ham are two years late to the Palhinha party
The Portugal international is a very good player indeed.
His performances during his time with Fulham were truly breathtaking.
During his final season with Fulham, he made more tackles than any other player in the Premier League with a hugely impressive total of 152 (Premier League website).
However, he’ll be 30 in just three month’s time, and considering he’s someone who plays in the engine room, it must be said that his best days are probably behind him.
West Ham need to change the way they operate in the transfer market. Signing talented young players with huge ceilings is the way forward.
And signing Palhinha wouldn’t be conducive with that recruitment strategy.
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