Fulham are now preparing a move to hijack a permanent deal for an “incredible” Premier League midfielder who Marco Silva already knows well.

Cottagers in good form heading into Chelsea derby

The Cottagers are now up to 11th in the Premier League table, extending their unbeaten run to five games after Harrison Reed fired home a spectacular late equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw against Liverpool last time out.

Silva is likely to feel as though justice was served, with the manager expressing his disbelief that Florian Wirtz’s goal wasn’t disallowed for an offside, saying: “Now, I have more images, different tools. For me, I cannot believe how that goal was allowed, it was a clear offside.

“We are still waiting for feedback from the Premier League. Everyone had the same opinion, it was clear. It’s much more than 5cm in my opinion.”

Although the west Londoners were ultimately unable to secure all three points, the fact they went toe-for-toe with last season’s champions is a very good sign, heading into the derby match against Chelsea tonight.

Performances have been much-improved as of late, but Fulham remain keen on strengthening their squad this month, and they recently made an approach to sign Real Betis midfielder Sergi Altimira.

However, according to a report from TEAMtalk, the Cottagers are also eyeing up a midfielder from much closer to home, with it being revealed they are preparing to pounce to sign Joao Palhinha, who is currently on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Bayern Munich.

Tottenham have the option to make the midfielder’s stay permanent for £26m, but there is a feeling they could now abort the deal, which could open the door for a return to Craven Cottage.

Should Spurs choose not to snap up the Portuguese maestro, Fulham would consider a move, and if he is able to replicate his previous exploits at the club, he could be a fantastic addition…

Related Live Football Streams: Watch Premier League, Championship, La Liga & more

All the fixtures and channels to watch live football on TV this week can be found here.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Palhinha could be "incredible" signing for Fulham

Silva knows the central midfielder well, having previously worked together at Craven Cottage, during which time he put in some top-quality performances, particularly impressing with his tackling ability.

The 30-year-old, who has been praised for his “incredible work rate and exceptional tackling”, has continued to catch the eye from a defensive point of view across spells with Bayern and Spurs over the past year, while also displaying a keen eye for goal, when compared to other midfielders.

Joao Palhinha’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Tackles

4.76 (99th percentile)

Blocks

1.64 (87th percentile)

Aerials won

1.78 (87th percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.15 (81st percentile)

Assists

0.15 (80th percentile)

As such, it would perhaps be a little unusual if Tottenham chose not to take up the option to sign Palhinha permanently, but their loss could be Fulham’s gain.

Liverpool started 2026 in disappointing fashion as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Leeds United at Anfield in the Premier League on Thursday.

It was a fairly uneventful match, with just one ‘big chance’ between the two teams combined, and one that ended a four-game winning streak for Arne Slot’s side.

FSG already knew that there is work to be done with the squad in the January transfer window before this underwhelming result, though, as the club are reportedly closing in on a big-money addition.

Liverpool set to sign new defender

Liverpool are reportedly closing in on the signing of central defender Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge for a fee of up to £43m to bolster the manager’s options at the heart of the defence.

The Reds did not have a senior centre-back available on the bench against Leeds, with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni out injured, and it is clearly an area that needs strengthening.

If these latest reports are to be believed, it is an area that FSG are set to strengthen in the coming days, with Ordonez set to come through the door to provide Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate with competition.

It is good to see that the club have moved swiftly to address a key issue in the squad at the start of the transfer window, but there is still work to be done for the recruitment chiefs before the window slams shut.

One Liverpool flop’s performance against Leeds on Thursday showed that FSG still need to spend more money on another signing, even after swooping for Ordonez for £43m.

Why Liverpool need to sign another attacker

The reigning Premier League champions still need to add another attacking option to Slot’s arsenal before the January transfer window slams shut.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

That is because Florian Wirtz provided yet another reminder that he is not the player who is going to go and make a difference for the Reds in a tight and physical game in the 0-0 draw with Leeds.

The £116m signing started the game on the left flank for Liverpool and looked totally ineffective. One analyst on X stated that the Germany international is “not a final third difference maker”, and should play further back on the pitch in a role akin to the one that Pedri plays for Barcelona.

There is merit to that theory because he ranks highly in statistics that you would expect a deep-lying midfielder to excel in. For example, Wirtz is in the top 4% of attacking midfielders in the Premier League for passes attempted per 90 (55.38) and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90 (7.05), per FBref.

Meanwhile, his blank against Leeds means that the attacking midfielder has only scored one goal, which came against a Wolves team who have three points, and provided one assist in 18 top-flight games since his big-money switch from the Bundesliga.

Vs Leeds

Florian Wirtz

Minutes

66

Shots

4

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Dribbles completed

0/1

Possession lost

15x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz was ineffective at the top end of the pitch for the Reds on Thursday, as he lost possession 15 times without creating any ‘big chances’, and failed to score from any of his four efforts on goal.

Subscribe for expert Liverpool transfer analysis Want authoritative takes on Liverpool’s transfer needs? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused analysis of transfer targets, tactical fit, and squad solutions — smart, source-backed coverage to follow how the Reds reshape their lineup and recruitment plans.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The issue with the £116m signing’s struggles on the left flank is that Slot’s other left winger, Cody Gakpo, has produced one goal and one assist in his last 11 appearances in all competitions for the club, per Sofascore.

Wirtz’s struggles in an attacking position, whilst excelling in statistics associated with a deeper-lying midfielder, suggest that Slot should utilise him further back in midfield, such as the position that Curtis Jones started in against Leeds.

This dismal showing against Leeds should be the final bit of evidence that is needed to make that change in role for the German, which would then mean that FSG need to dip into the market to sign a starting-grade left winger.

Related In the coming days: Liverpool set to seal better move than Semenyo for £43m

Liverpool are reportedly set to sign a star who could be an even better addition than Antoine Semenyo.

Posts ByDan Emery

With Gakpo struggling badly for form and Wirtz in need of a position change, Liverpool must dip into the market to sign another wide attacker to bolster their squad, even after splashing £43m on Ordonez.

Aston Villa have had a rather turbulent season in their latest Premier League campaign having sacked Dean Smith after a run of five consecutive defeats to then appoint Steven Gerrard in November.

Since the former Liverpool midfielder came in, the Villans have racked up five wins, two draws and six defeats, with only one of those wins coming in their past seven league games.

One player, in particular, that has not had the easiest of seasons in a Villa shirt is defender Ezri Konsa.

With 21 league appearances under his belt, the centre-back has only managed to earn himself a rather underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.44/10 from WhoScored, making him the lowest-rated player currently in Gerrard’s squad that has started more than two league games.

Looking at his defensive statistics, the 24-year-old, who has lost 35 duels this season, has only been able to achieve an average of one tackle per game, which is lower than the likes of Emi Buendia, Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Sanson.

The same can be said for his average of interceptions as well with just 0.6 made per game, the same number as Ashley Young and Axel Tuanzebe who have both played significantly fewer minutes than Konsa.

Even for clearances and blocks, the Englishman has not been able to match the same average as fellow centre-back Tyrone Mings, even though the 28-year-old is seen as a liability for Villa by 66% of voters in a poll ran by Football FanCast earlier this year.

Having got himself sent off in the 3-3 draw against Leeds United earlier this month, it could be argued that Konsa has been a liability for the Villans at times this season, despite previously being labelled as “Mr Consistent.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Calum Chambers being brought in during the recent January transfer window and having the likes of Joe Gomez linked with a summer transfer move to the Midlands club, the defender will have to fix up his performances throughout the remainder of the campaign or else he could be at risk of being left out of the team for the foreseeable future if Gerrard doesn’t believe in him.

In other news: Big mistake: “Bullish” AVFC gem with an “abundance of talent” is proving Gerrard wrong – opinion

Leeds United have struggled to find the back of the net at times in the Premier League this season with just 29 goals scored in 27 games, which is a big drop from the 43 that they had netted at the same stage in their previous campaign.

This unfortunate statistic could be put down to the fact that they have had to go through the majority of the season without Patrick Bamford up front as a result of injuries after the Englishman scored 17 goals in 38 league appearances last year.

While the Yorkshire club could have done with an extra goalscoring option in their squad this season, one former Whites figure hasn’t had much trouble finding the back of the net since leaving Elland Road in a £5.4m deal.

In 122 appearances for the club, 29-year-old striker Kemar Roofe scored 33 goals and provided 14 assists for the Whites before joining Belgian club RSC Anderlecht in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Despite making just 16 appearances for Anderlecht, the striker, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £26k-per-week according to Salary Sport, managed to score seven goals and provide three assists before joining Scottish club Rangers a year after his move to Belgium.

Since making the move to Ibrox, the Jamaican has racked up 30 goals in 63 appearances across all competitions, showing at both clubs what a deadly attacking threat he has been since moving away from Leeds.

With the benefit of hindsight, it could be said that Victor Orta and the club made a big mistake by letting Roofe leave when he did, as he could have been a valuable asset for the team in Bamford’s absence this season.

Having been praised in the past by former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard for his “unbelievable” long range Europa League goal against Standard Liege, which was described as being “a moment of genius” by the current Aston Villa boss, Roofe has certainly thrived in terms of scoring goals since ending his time at the Yorkshire club.

Perhaps the best piece of praise since departing Leeds came from Gerrard who once described his livewire attitude like a “Duracell bunny.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Moving forward, now that the former Leeds forward has moved on and is enjoying his time in the SPFL, the best thing Jesse Marsch’s side can do now is to focus on their own players and fight until the end of the campaign to avoid getting relegated to the Championship.

In other news: Orta can seal dream move after Leeds plot bid for £20m gem, he’s a “new Luis Suarez” – opinion 

Kevin Campbell has claimed that it is a “make or break” few months for Rangers star Aaron Ramsey’s footballing career, reacting to the news that the Ibrox man drafted in his own doctors behind the scenes.

The Lowdown: Ramsey’s injury woes

The Wales international has always been renowned for his injury woes over the course of his career, rather than being remembered for his undeniable talent.

In total, the 31 year-old has missed 153 games due to various issues across his career, with Transfermarkt’s list of injuries for him spanning three pages.

Even across the 2021/22 season, the midfielder has suffered five separate spells out; one of which has kept him out of action since Rangers’ emphatic 4-2 at Borussia Dortmund in February.

However, the 31-year-old recently returned to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s matchday squad as an unused substitute in the Light Blues’ 1-0 win over Aberdeen.

The Latest: Campbell reacts…

After it was revealed that Ramsey had spent £30,000 on flying specialist physios into Glasgow behind the scenes, Campbell, who regularly features as a pundit for Sky Sports, claimed that the remainder of the season could be huge for the Welshman’s football career.

Speaking with Football Insider, whose headline claimed this is a potentially ‘career-ending period’, he said:

“This has been Rambo’s problem for a while now.

“It’s been very difficult to keep him fit. That’s always been the case with him, I don’t think anybody could question his talent though. 

“To show consistency of performance you have got to be available. Let’s be honest, the availability hasn’t been there.

“People are always going to question you and say things if you are not available.

“Aaron Ramsey needs an injury-free run until the end of the season now. It’s make or break time.”

The Verdict: Big few months ahead

Having played just 94 minutes of football for Rangers, Ramsey’s redemption move has certainly not gone to plan as of yet.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Whilst he is on loan with the Scottish side, the Glasgow club have the option of making the deal permanent in the summer, but it is hard to see Ross Wilson and co committing to a permanent move given his troubles so far.

Rangers are currently preparing for tomorrow night’s round 16 Europa League clash against Red Star Belgrade, so summer transfers are likely the last thing on the supporters’ minds at the moment, but what a shame it would be to miss out on a player of Ramsey’s ability due to his lack of availability.

In other news: Rangers: Chris Jack concerned about potential summer exodus

Rangers have been dealt a big injury setback over Ibrox central midfielder John Lundstram…

What’s the latest?

Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that the Englishman has picked up a knock ahead of the club’s Scottish Cup quarter-final clash today.

In his pre-match press conference, the head coach admitted that “we have a couple concerns with Lundstram’s ankle” and this could see him miss out on the squad.

Rangers take on Dundee FC away from home in the cup before travelling away to Serbia to take on Red Star Belgrade in the second leg of their Europa League clash.

Livid

Van Bronckhorst will surely be livid with the ex-Sheffield United man’s injury as his absence will come as a major blow to the side.

Lundstram has been excellent in recent months after a tricky start to life at the club and losing him for any period of time would be a big setback for the Gers as they would be missing out on his quality performances in the middle of the park.

Through July, August and September – Lundstram failed to average a SofaScore rating higher than 6.9 as he settled in after his move to the club on a free transfer from Sheffield United. From October to the end of February, the midfielder averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.0 or higher in four of the five months for the Gers.

This suggests that he has been able to step up to the plate after a difficult start to the campaign. He was unable to hit the ground running at Ibrox but has now found his feet and is showing that he has the quality to be a big player for the club moving forward.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Lundstram has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.90 in the Premiership this term overall. In 22 appearances, he has completed an impressive 90% of his attempted passes whilst making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game. He is reliable in possession and capable of winning the ball back on a regular basis, which is why van Bronckhorst will be livid with this injury.

Hopefully, it is not a long-term issue and, at worst, he will only miss this clash with Dundee FC in the Scottish Cup. Losing him for an extended run of matches would be disastrous for the Gers given his recent form the Dutch head coach will be crossing his fingers over the midfielder’s fitness.

AND in other news, GvB must now unleash Rangers’ “wonderful” £4.5m-rated “leader”, time is running out…

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has been reacting to the announcement of a new deal for midfielder Tim Iroegbunam.

The Lowdown: Contract until 2027

Villa, who recently handed professional terms to midfielder Tommi O’Reilly, confirmed on Friday that they have finalised a fresh contact for Iroegbunam.

The 18-year-old only arrived at Bodymoor Heath last summer from West Brom and has clearly impressed Steven Gerrard. He has been a regular in the matchday squad since December and even made his Premier League debut in the 2-0 win over Brighton at the end of February.

Iroegbunam’s new contract runs until 2027, with Villa announcing that he will ‘become a full-time member’ of Gerrard’s first-team squad.

The Latest: Preece reacts

Preece firstly relayed the news regarding Iroegbunam’s maiden England under-19 call up via Twitter on Friday.

He then responded to the new ‘long-term’ deal for the midfielder, labelling it a ‘brilliant day’ for the Villa player.

The Verdict: Good news

Villa and Gerrard clearly rate Iroegbunam, so it’s good news that he has committed his future at the club until 2027.

You’d expect that he could feature from the bench in Villa’s final nine Premier League games of 2021/22, gaining more senior experience in the process, especially with the club comfortably sitting in mid-table.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As mentioned, he is now a first-team player, so next season could be a breakthrough campaign for the teenager as he looks to follow in Jacob Ramsey’s footsteps.

In other news: ‘Not much more the club can do’ – Worrying claim emerges on coveted Aston Villa ‘star’. 

According to a report from Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are considering a club-record deal to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Lowdown: Big interest

Spurs aren’t the only side believed to be keen on the 23-year-old with Newcastle United, Manchester United and Arsenal all linked to the ace.

However, with Kane once again being touted with a possible switch to Manchester City, the Lilywhites could be the most desperate of the lot in the need for a centre-forward signing.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

This most recent update would suggest that Nigeria international Osimhen is a leading candidate to fill the void if Kane does indeed depart in search of big trophies.

The Latest: Breaking the bank

According to the Italian source (via SW), Tottenham are among the clubs making ‘evaluations’ regarding the Napoli man ahead of the summer transfer window.

Furthermore, the report states that any move for the 18 times-capped Nigeria star would cost ‘around €100million’ (£83million), which would shatter Spurs’ current £54million record expenditure for Tanguy Ndombele (Transfermarkt).

The outlet believes Daniel Levy and Co. would have that sort of cash to splash if Kane were to leave.

The verdict: Conte is a fan

Boasting 63 goals and 17 assists in 145 career outings across spells with VFL Wolfsburg, LOSC Lille and RSC Charleroi, it’s clear to see why Tottenham would be interested in the Nigerian striker.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

So far this season Osimhen, who was recently described as ‘unplayable’ by football writer Zach Lowy, has scored 15 times and registered four assists in 25 outings across all competitions. He has proven his quality against Premier League opposition too, scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw at Leicester City.

Given the need for an attacking addition with or without Kane beyond this summer, it’s little wonder that Conte would allegedly personally approve of a move for the Napoli frontman.

In other news: ‘I doubt…’ – Pundit claims Tottenham ace may have played final game for the club, find out more here

Arsenal are finally back in action this evening following the latest international break with an away clash against Crystal Palace.

The Gunners secured a 1-0 victory away at Aston Villa in their previous league outing prior to the break, whereas the Eagles managed to earn a 0-0 draw against Manchester City at Selhurst Park in their previous league game.

Patrick Vieira’s side then beat Everton 4-0 in the FA Cup to secure their place in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium, showing how strong they are in defence and lethal in attack.

Looking ahead to this evening’s showdown, it seems as though Mikel Arteta’s could welcome back one of their key figures that was not involved for their country during the break.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football.London, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has been in training at London Colney leading up to tonight’s fixture after testing positive for the global pandemic while away on international duty with England.

Speaking in his latest press conference on Friday, Arteta had this to say on the situation.

He said: “Bukayo is feeling good, he’s training today hopefully, if he is still feeling as he was yesterday.”

Great news for Arsenal

Taking into account how the winger has more goal contributions than any other Arsenal player in the league this season with nine strikes and five assists to his name, it’s safe to say that he is a big player for the Gunners and it will be a huge boost for them to have him on the pitch.

To further highlight the Englishman’s attacking prowess and importance to his side, the 20-year-old has racked up a total of 99 shot-creating actions, the seventh-highest out of anyone in the Premier League ahead of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Allan Saint-Maximin.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In addition to his impressive attacking play, his overall performances have earned him a season rating of 7.07 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player in Arteta’s squad.

Taking all of this into account, having Saka available to play this evening would surely increase the away side’s chances of securing another win and taking a step closer to securing a top-four finish.

In other news: Arteta must ruthlessly axe “shocking” £18m-rated AFC liability, he’s “not world-class”

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona and USA full-back Sergino Dest this summer, according to journalist James Marshment.

The Lowdown: Dest doing well at Barca

The 21-year-old may not always have been a guaranteed starter for Barca this season but he has still enjoyed plenty of playing time for the La Liga giants.

Dest has started 15 league games in total, chipping in with three assists in that time, and he has been hailed as ‘spectacularly good’ by manager Xavi.

The American is currently contracted with Barca until the summer of 2025 but that hasn’t stopped interest emerging from Leeds.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds keen on move

Taking to Twitter, TEAMtalk editor Marshment claims that Dest is seen as Victor Orta’s second American transfer target this summer, along with Brenden Aaronson:

“TEAMtalk understands that Leeds are pushing forward with plans for the summer window and, subject to Prem survival, remain actively in pursuit of Brenden Aaronson.

“He’s not the only American on their radar either, with sources informing us that Sergino Dest is also a target.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-40/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Hugely exciting option

Dest would be a superb signing if Jesse Marsch manages to pull it off, with the youngster someone who could come in as both a current and long-term key man.

He already has 48 La Liga appearances to his name, meaning he has proven himself in a top European League, and he will be a key figure for the USA at the World Cup later this year.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Dest could be seen as an eventual replacement for Luke Ayling, who turns 31 later this year and hasn’t always been at his best this season, despite his winner at Wolves. They could compete for the right-back spot, with the former eventually becoming the undisputed first choice.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Leeds update regarding one player. Find out who it is here.