Fulham beat Wolves to signing of Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha

Fulham have fought off competition from Wolves to land Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha, 90min can confirm.

The Cottagers are busy preparing themselves for their return to the Premier League and are pursuing a number of ambitious targets, with the in-demand Palhinha one of their top priorities.

Wolves were also keen on Palhinha and agreed their own fee with Sporting, but sources have confirmed to 90min that the defensive midfielder has opted for a move to Marco Silva's Fulham instead.

Personal terms have already been discussed and Fulham are prepared to hand Palhinha a five-year contract following the conclusion of his medical, with the 26-year-old due in England on Monday to finalise his move.

Palhinha made 38 appearances for Sporting last season, impressing from the base of midfield as Ruben Amorim's side finished second in the league.

He is now set to take up a similar role for Fulham, filling the void left by Jean Michael Seri's departure this summer.

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Should Palhinha's move go through as expected, he will become Fulham's first signing of the summer and could soon be followed through the door by a handful of new faces.

90min understands contact has been made with Manchester United over a deal to sign Andreas Pereira, while talks over Israel winger Manor Solomon continue.

A deal for the Shakhtar Donetsk wide man was agreed back in April but ended up falling through, but Fulham revived their interest earlier this month and remain hopeful of finally getting a deal over the line.



Source : 90min