EPL

Fulham land 'one of top targets' Joao Palhinha from Sporting CP

By Sports Desk July 04, 2022

Fulham have completed the signing of Portugal international midfielder Joao Palhinha from Sporting CP on a five-year deal.

The newly promoted Premier League side are reported to have paid £20million (€23.2m) to sign Palhinha, with the contract containing the option of a further 12 months.

Palhinha, capped 14 times by Portugal and in contention to be part of their squad for the 2022 World Cup, had also been linked with Manchester United and Wolves.

But Fulham confirmed on their official website on Monday that the 26-year-old has become their first signing since earning promotion from the Championship in April.

Vice-chairman Tony Khan is delighted to have won the race for Palhinha, who had spent a decade on Sporting's books.

"Joao Palhinha has excelled in Portugal playing both club and international football. He's been one of our top targets in this window," Khan said.

"While there were other prominent clubs aiming to secure his signature, we're thrilled Joao chose to come here and that he wants to play under our great coach Marco Silva.

"We believe that Joao will be a valuable addition to strengthen the squad to compete this season in the Premier League."

Palhinha played 27 times for Sporting in the Primeira Liga last season and scored three goals from defensive midfield.

He has spent his entire career on Sporting's books, albeit with spells out on loan with Moreirense, Belenenses and Braga, making Fulham his first club outside of Portugal. 

"I'm very glad to be here. It's a big opportunity for me, for my career, to play in what is – in my opinion – the best league in the world," Palhinha said.

"I've signed with a great club. The club wanted me, and I chose the club, so I promise the fans that I will do my best, and I hope we can win so many things in this season."

Related items

  • Granada 0-4 Real Madrid: Diaz stars in crushing victory for LaLiga champions Granada 0-4 Real Madrid: Diaz stars in crushing victory for LaLiga champions

    Newly-crowned LaLiga champions Real Madrid earned an emphatic 4-0 win over relegated Granada on Saturday, breaking a single-season club record after making it 29 LaLiga games unbeaten.

    Carlo Ancelotti's side continued their superb form following their Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich, reaching 90 points in the league and moving 15 clear of second-placed Girona.

    Fran Garcia broke the deadlock with an easy finish after a long series of passes in the 38th minute before he set up Arda Guler to slot home and extend the advantage just before half-time.

    Brahim Diaz made it 3-0 in the 49th minute with a shot into the near post, and the former Manchester City attacker scored his second nine minutes later off a Luka Modric pass from the right.

    A much-changed Madrid were in control throughout as Los Blancos moved to 29 league matches undefeated, surpassing their best unbeaten run in a single campaign under John Toshack in 1989-90.

    Granada, meanwhile, were already relegated after Mallorca's 1-0 win at Las Palmas as their LaLiga stay came to an abrupt end on Saturday.

  • Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea: Reds made to wait for safety after late collapse Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea: Reds made to wait for safety after late collapse

    Nottingham Forest must wait to make mathematically certain of their Premier League status after conceding two late goals in a dramatic 3-2 home loss to Chelsea.

    Forest began Saturday's thrilling game knowing a point from their final two matches would be enough to secure safety after Luton Town's 3-1 loss at West Ham and Burnley's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.

    After Willy Boly cancelled out Mykhailo Mudryk's strike inside the opening 16 minutes, Callum Hudson-Odoi thought he had won the game with a delightful 74th-minute curler against his former side.

    However, Chelsea silenced the City Ground through quickfire goals from Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson in the final 10 minutes.

    Chelsea's third win in a row keeps them seventh and level on points with Newcastle United in sixth, while Forest are three points better off than Luton with a game to go, but they are 12 goals better off in terms of goal difference.

    Mudryk controlled Cole Palmer's defence-splitting pass and finished across Matz Sels to give Chelsea the lead, but Boly levelled for Forest with a free header from Morgan Gibbs-White's free-kick delivery – the ball taking a touch off Conor Gallagher on its way in.

    Jackson had a chance to restore Chelsea's lead before the interval, but his effort was kept out by Sels when played through by Palmer.

    Forest also created plenty of opportunities at 1-1 as Ryan Yates clipped the outside of the post and Gibbs-White did likewise from a close-range header, with the rebound dropping to Wood.

    The Forest striker somehow blazed over in one of the misses of the season, which almost proved costly as Thiago Silva clipped the post at the other end soon after.

    Hudson-Odoi was next to hit the frame of the goal, but it did not appear to matter when he cut inside Malo Gusto and curled the ball away from Petrovic.

    Then came a late twist, though, as substitute Sterling scored a similar curler at the opposite end in the 80th minute, before fellow replacement Reece James – returning from a lengthy lay-off – crossed for Jackson to head home a dramatic winner.

  • Napoli 0-2 Bologna: Champions League-chasing Rossoblu down tame hosts Napoli 0-2 Bologna: Champions League-chasing Rossoblu down tame hosts

    Napoli saw their winless run extend to five games after Bologna secured a 2-0 win with two quickfire goals at their lacklustre hosts in Serie A on Saturday.

    Forward Dan Ndoye gave Bologna the lead in the ninth minute, heading home from point-blank range, before defender Stefan Posch nodded in to double the advantage three minutes later following a corner.

    Napoli should have pulled one back soon after when they were awarded a penalty for Remo Freuler's foul on Victor Osimhen but Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia kept out Matteo Politano's low shot.

    Bologna, at least temporarily, moved up to third on 67 points, leapfrogging Juventus – with 66 – who host relegated Salernitana on Sunday.

    Napoli are eighth on 51 points as last season's Scudetto winners continue to struggle to match their heroics from the previous term.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.