West Ham United have had a busy transfer window so far this summer. Manuel Pellegrini is determined to improve the squad, and has been linked with several exciting names recently.
They are now looking at a relative unknown from the Portuguese league in Joao Palhinha, claim Portuguese website Record.
Palhinha is a Sporting CP player, but is currently out on loan with Liga NOS outfit Braga till the end of the next season.
Who is Palhinha?
A product of the academy at Sporting, Palhinha only managed 13 appearances for the senior side at the club and has been sent out on three different loan stints since 2015. He also made a couple of appearances for the Portuguese under-20 side, but is yet to break into the senior side.
Palhinha has 78 top-flight games in Portugal, but is yet to appear in a game outside of the country. However, he registered two goals and two assists in 17 league starts last season, and has been extensively scouted by the London club recently.
A defensive midfielder by trait, Palhinha is also capable of playing at the heart of the backline. He is known for his strength in the air and ability to read the game, which allows him to win tackles consistently.
He is decent with his passing and shooting from just outside the box but what makes him impressive is his ability to hold on to the ball under pressure, and find the right pass more often than not.
The 24-year old is always alert to the chance of turning defence into attack, while his ability to win fouls regularly makes him that much more a threat.
He is also happy to throw himself around at the back and is a player Manuel Pellegrini will love to have on his side.
What Will Palhinha Bring To West Ham?
Pellegrini has an impressive squad at his disposal, but is without backups for a few roles in the first team.
Young Declan Rice has been impressive in a defensive midfield role, but the likes of Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang and Carlos Sanchez have not been consistent in the deeper role.
Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini and the new signing Pablo Fornals will all make West Ham a hard team to stop in the attack, but they are not the strongest side at the back.
The likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop were constantly exposed to high-quality attackers last season and this interest in Palhinha shows that Pellegrini wants new names for the defensive midfield position in his squad.
The former Portuguese under-21 international might not be able to walk into the first team and make an immediate impact, but he has attributes that suit Pellegrini’s style of play and those that will make him a success in England.
The contract with Braga might make this deal a bit tough for the Hammers, but Palhinha will be available for a cheap price and could turn out to be a game-changer for West Ham this summer.