Liverpool told Man Utd, Arsenal target is ‘exactly the player’ Klopp needs with £100m deal mooted

Liverpool have been told that Fulham standout Joao Palhinha is “exactly the player” Jurgen Klopp’s side needs to sign either in January or next summer.

Fulham paid around £20m to sign Palhinha ahead of their return to the Premier League in 2022/23 and he was one of the signings of the season.

The defensive midfielder made a huge impact as Marco Silva’s side surpassed expectations to finish 10th in the Premier League.

Palhinha attracted the attention of clubs around Europe in the summer and he looked set to join Bayern Munich for around £60m on deadline day. He even travelled to Germany for a medical but this deal was not completed as Fulham were unable to sign a suitable replacement.

The 28-year-old has since got his head down and he continues to be one of Fulham’s best players. Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd have all been linked with him ahead of January and former Reds defender Jose Enrique reckons he’s “exactly the kind of player” Liverpool needs.

“Joao Palhinha has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham. Firstly, I don’t think you can put Tottenham in that conversation in terms of pulling power alongside the likes of Liverpool and United – they’re not the same,” Enrique told Grosvenor Sport.

“I think Palhinha is a great player and I would love him at Liverpool. I think he is exactly the kind of player that Liverpool need in midfield.

“However, if they try to sign him in January then I think Fulham will ask for a fee that no-one is willing to pay. In the summer window, it is a different story and I think something is more likely to happen with him then.

“In January, Fulham will probably ask for over £100million for him and no one is going to pay that, but they will be back for him in the summer.”

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Enrique has also indicated that he would “rather” Liverpool sign Palhinha over Man City’s Kalvin Phillips.

“When it comes to Kalvin Phillips potentially joining Liverpool, it comes down to whether or not Manchester City would want to sell to a direct rival,” Enrique added.

“City spent a lot of money on Phillips and they are going to want to recoup some of that. If Liverpool are going to have to spend big either way, then I would rather they sign Palhinha over Phillips. I don’t think Phillips is worth that kind of money right now but there is every chance that he will be again in the future.

“I like him a lot and he is obviously a good player because Manchester City signed him, but you have to question why he isn’t playing at all – it’s not normal. For me, it largely depends on how much money City want for him.”