Fulham have decided not to sell Joao Palhinha in the January transfer window, which could be good news for Arsenal’s hopes of signing him.
Florian Plettenberg reports that Joao Palhinha and his agency have been informed that a winter transfer will not be possible for him.
Palhinha is reportedly disappointed, as his plan was to join Bayern Munich this season. But after their failure to complete a deal in the summer, it seems they’re not set to revive their move this month.
In a roundabout way, this could be good news for Arsenal. The Gunners reportedly hold an interest in Palhinha, but they had little chance of competing for the deal this month.
Palhinha is now set to remain with Fulham until the end of the season, and perhaps the Gunners could have a better shot at the transfer then.
The Telegraph, the Evening Standard, and Football.London wrote in December that multiple English sides were tracking Palhinha.
Though none of them specifically named Arsenal, Fabrizio Romano then confirmed that the Gunners were one of the teams that appreciated the player.
Palhinha has performed excellently for Fulham, so the Gunners could be willing to overlook his age (28) and relative inexperience at the top level.
Bayern were willing to pay around £56m for Palhinha in the summer, but it’s unclear whether Fulham would accept the same amount this summer.
Arsenal are probably going to need midfield additions this year and Palhinha appears to be a strong one.