The greatest strength of a reported Fabinho substitute target is also its weakness, and could give Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp an unusual headache.
Fabinho is arriving at Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in a $52m (£40m/€46m) transfer and Liverpool need to find a replacement.
According to ECHO’s Ian Doyle, Fulham’s João Palhinha, who joined the Cottagers just last summer from Portugal’s Sporting, is one of the players the Reds have identified as a “chance”.
Palhinha wouldn’t be cheap, with Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solkehol reporting that he would cost “at least” $64m (£50m/€58m), but he could be worth that kind of outlay.
He really is an outstanding possession of the ball, making more tackles (147) than any player in Europe’s top five last season, and that immense destructive ability will appeal to Liverpool. Naturally, this aggressive style of play also comes at a price, with Palhinha receiving no less than 14 yellow cards last season. Newcastle’s Joelinton and Wolves’ Rúben Neves came closest on 12, while Fabinho himself finished fourth on 11. Indeed, no player in either of the aforementioned divisions has picked up again over the course of the season.
Palhinha earned his first suspension in October, missing a match against Newcastle, and would go on to collect 10 yellow cards, including one for excessive celebration, before mid-season approached with a further two-match suspension in March.
Local rivals Brentford took advantage of his absence to secure a 3-2 win, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was reportedly relieved to see him sidelined for his side’s trip to Craven Cottage. Had he been available, it’s hard to imagine the Gunners winning that easily (3-0).
Last season was Fabinho’s worst in discipline, but even then he didn’t reach Palhinha’s level. In his previous four years at Anfield, he’d managed to limit himself to six or seven bookings in the Premier League, so there was rarely any fear of suspension.
By comparison, no other Liverpool player has amassed more than eight cautions in a full season under Jurgen Klopp.
The manager felt obliged to bench the Brazilian for a trip to Aston Villa in November 2019 to ensure he was available for a title run with Manchester City the following weekend, but it was a one-off. If Liverpool are to spend big on Palhinha as a starter, then they must accept the possibility of going to big games without him, or be forced to rest him given his obvious penchant for bookings.
As a 28-year-old Premier League proven operator, he should be a safe signing, but this adds at least a degree of risk.
