‘Nothing’: £20m man rubbishes claims he held talks to join Wolves

Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

Joao Palhinha has refuted claims that he held talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining Premier League rivals Fulham in a £20 million deal, speaking to Mais Futebol. 

Depending on who you ask, Palhinha is either Wolves’ ‘one that got away’, or a player who’s links with the Black Country club have been greatly exaggerated. 

The Midlands-based Express and Star certainly suggest it’s the latter rather than the former. Wolves boss Bruno Lage, they say, was always prioritising a more attack-minded central midfielder this summer.  

Palhinha, in contrast, made his name over in Portugal as a belligerent ball-winner rather than one capable of untying the tightest of knots at the other end of the pitch. Only three players in the whole of the Champions League averaged more than his 3.7 successful tackles per game in 2021/22 (WhoScored). 

Fulham sign Joao Palhinha amid Wolves links

The former Sporting Lisbon enforcer sealed a surprise move to newly-promoted Fulham in July.  

And, speaking following his £20 million switch to West London, Palhinha insists that those alleged negotiations between himself and Wolves simply didn’t happen. 

Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

“Nothing came to me (from Wolves),” explains the former Braga loanee. “So much has been said. But nowadays, this is normal. It’s not just me, I think it happens to all players. 

“Every day, we in Portugal have this habit of transferring a player to five different clubs in the same window!  

“But that’s it. I’m where I need to be and I’ll always give my best (for Fulham). I am very happy and very proud to play in the best league in the world.  

“I’ll do my best. I want to show my value. I’ve already demonstrated it in Portugal but I know I can still do more and that’s the ambition I have inside me.” 

Palhinha’s former Sporting team-mate Matheus Nunes certainly feels like a more fitting addition to a Wolves side blessed with plenty of distributors but lacking a dynamic streak in the centre of the park. 

Nunes, however, appears to have set his sights higher than Molineux however. 

Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
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