The $65 million star who shines in the Premier League and dreams of playing for Barcelona

For months now, boss Xavi Hernandez has wanted to add a holding midfielder to the Barcelona squad. He requested the signing of a player with those characteristics last summer, but the chiefs could not fulfill his wish because of the financial problems the club has had for years.

Although Los Blaugranas have Oriol Romeu, Ilkay Gundogan, Sergi Roberto and Frenkie De Jong in that sector of the pitch, the manager believes that this is not enough, especially since Gavi suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery. The young Spanish midfielder will need at least six more months to recover and will therefore miss the rest of the season.

With this scenario, there have been rumors about the possible arrival of players like Real Betis' Guido Rodriguez and Girona's Aleix Garcia. But they are not the only ones. According to Sport newspaper, Joao Palhinha has expressed to people close to him that he has the desire to play for Barcelona in the near future.

The Portuguese midfielder is one of the stars of the Premier League, where he arrived in 2022 from Sporting Lisbon. Since then he has played 61 games and scored 6 goals for Fulham, which attracted the attention of other important clubs in Europe. In fact, last summer he was very close to being transferred to Bayern Munich, although the negotiation failed at the last moment and he had to stay in England.

How much is he worth?

Joao Palhinha was bought by Fulham for $25 million just over a year ago. But his excellent performances in the Premier League have increased his price and now, according to the specialized website Transfermarkt, he is worth $65 million. In addition, he recently signed a new contract with the Cottagers until June 30, 2028.