16 December 2023 , 21:15
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Manchester City are eyeing a £50million move for Fulham's star Joao Palhinha in January.
The Portuguese central midfielder, 28, is seen as the best choice for the English champions as they look to bolster their team for the second half of the season, according to the Daily Star.
With Kalvin Phillips likely to leave City in the January transfer window, boss Pep Guardiola is eager to secure a top-class replacement and believes Fulham star Palhinha fits the bill. Palhinha, who is under contract until June 2028, came close to joining Bayern Munich last summer until a deal collapsed on Deadline Day.
Ironically, Bayern are now expressing an interest in Phillips in a move which could pave the way for Palhinha to head to the Etihad. Palhinha was previously on Chelsea's radar but their interest has waned with coach Mauricio Pochettino not keen to add more players in that position.
Liverpool, who were also linked with the former Sporting player, have the same stance. While this is good news for Fulham's manager Marco Silva, who wants to keep Palhinha, City's interest is a big concern.
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Another player on City's wishlist is rising Brazilian midfielder Andre, 22. Interestingly, the Fluminense star, valued at £30m, is also being eyed by Fulham as they search for a long-term successor for Palhinha.
Andre earned his first of four Brazil caps in June when he replaced West Ham's Lucas Paqueta, who was City's top target last summer until an FA investigation into alleged betting breaches put a stop to a £70m deal to the Etihad. Paqueta has always denied any involvement but the scandal still ruined the deal.
City have also been linked with a move for Girona full-back Miguel Gutierrez - but could see a deal scupper by Real Madrid. Girona are part of City Football Group so orchestrating a transfer would normally be a fairly straightforward process.
But Real hold first refusal on the player who, according to SportBild, has also been attracting interest from Arsenal.
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