At the start of the summer, the Portuguese media expected Sporting to have another transfer window where they’d make big sales. With players such as Nuno Mendes and Matheus Nunes being heavily linked to the likes of Everton and Manchester City, it seemed very likely the Lions would be able to make some good money soon.
However, none of those moves happened and it doesn’t seem likely they will. So according to A Bola, it’s time to look at other players whose sale would help their financial situation, and João Palhinha is the main asset for that.
The midfielder has been linked to several sides in the past few months, with repeated claims about Wolverhampton Wanderers trying to get to a deal for his transfer.
Those efforts are recalled by A Bola today, with the newspaper pointing out that the Molineux side made approaches to sign Palhinha for between €15m and €20m.
Wolves are part of a long list of clubs who’ve been linked to the 25-year-old, and what they should all know now is that Palhinha could ‘be sacrificed’ by the Lisbon side in this transfer window.
The likes of Lyon, Lille, Betis, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City, Manchester United, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Napoli were all said to have been linked with his signing at some point.
A Bola says there have even been approaches for a €30m move, but that’s still not enough, since the Lions’ ‘message to the market’ is that the midfielder will only leave for his release clause, which is €60m.
So in case Wolves really want this chance to sign him, they better realise the competition is big, and he’ll cost a lot more than they expected.
