What will Joao Palhinha bring to Fulham?

Yet another player from the Liga Portugal has joined the Premier League this summer and this time it is Joao Palhinha, who joins Fulham from Sporting.

The 26-year-old defensive midfielder signed a five-year deal with the Craven Cottage outfit and cost the club a reported £17m fee.

Palhinha reached the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in 21/22 with Sporting and has made 14 appearances for Portugal.

So what kind of a player is he and what will he bring to Silva’s Fulham?

 

Defensively reliable

Acting as the deeper defensive midfielder in a double pivot for Sporting in their 3-4-2-1, Palhinha was manager Ruben Amorim’s trusted defensive lynchpin.

Palhinha’s primary responsibility is to screen the defence and provide cover against opposition attackers attempting to exploit any spaces in behind.

Whilst Sporting maintain the majority of possession more often than not in their games, Palhinha’s defensive strength, especially when it comes to tackling is key for Sporting to control games.

In the Liga Portugal, Palhinha played 1880 minutes of football and overall, the Portuguese midfielder was averaging 3.9 tackles per90 in the league. His intensity in tackling and his desire to win defensive duels has gone a long way in helping Sporting neutralise potential threats to their goal.

 

Safety in possession

Aside from being reliable when it comes to winning tackles and getting the ball back, another one of Palhinha’s strengths is his ability to retain the ball and ensure that the team controls the flow of the game.

Palhinha’s pass success rate of 87% is a result of his passing tendencies over short and medium distances, where he is quite efficient in keeping the ball and recycling possession as and when necessary.

Whilst his passing range is not the greatest and he is limited in how much he can progress the ball but nevertheless, his ability to be a reliable presence in the middle of the park is key. He makes himself available for passes and is often able to kill an opposition press with simple short passes.

Whereas his team-mates around him are far more riskier in what they do with the ball, Palhinha’s focus is on keeping the ball and ensuring that his team-mates can focus on chance creation.

 

Good complement to Zambo-Anguissa

As it stands, it looks likely that Palhinha will partner one of the existing midfielders at Craven Cottage in the form of a double pivot which is how Marco Silva fielded his midfield in the Championship last season.
 
Palhinha is exactly the type of player who can provide a solid base to build from at the heart of midfield and with Andreas Pereira likely to arrive from Manchester United, he will be given licence to go forward and Palhinha will stay disciplined in the middle of the park. 

No doubt Pereira and Palhinha should form an interesting middle two for Fulham and provide a different kind of duo as compared to existing options. The likes of Harrison Reed might also be able to express their passing range better with lesser defensive responsibilities alongside Palhinha.

Aerially as well, Palhinha’s height of 6”3’ will be a huge asset for Fulham during the season. Domestically, Palhinha won 1.5 Aerial duels per90 during the season alongside Matheus Nunes, who was the more offensive No.8 type player for Sporting’s midfield.

Although earlier in the window it was looking likely that he would join Wolves, it is now Fulham who will benefit from Palhinha’s defensive strengths. No doubt this move will also help his prospects with the national team as he looks to establish himself as the primary defensive midfielder for the team for years to come.