Fulham are in pole position to bring an exciting overseas player to the Premier League, with a fresh report revealing that he’s viewed as a replacement for Joao Palhinha.
Bayern Munich's pursuit of Joao Palhinha
Over the summer, Bayern Munich held a strong interest in Palhinha and came close to completing a deal when the player even flew over to Germany to finalise his move on deadline day, but because Fulham couldn’t find a successor, the move fell through at the last minute.
However, Thomas Tuchel’s side are now considering another swoop for the talisman at the start of next year, so with Marco Silva now having a bit more time to assess his options in the market, he’s set his sights on a potential candidate who he wants to bring to England.
Fluminense’s defensive midfielder Andre has worked his way up through his club’s various academy ranks to get promoted to their first team where he’s so far made a total of 163 appearances across all age levels (Transfermarkt – Andre stats).
The Brazil international has made an outstanding start to the new season having firmly established himself as Fernando Diniz’s best-performing defensive player (WhoScored – Fluminense stats), and it’s this impressive form which has brought the 22-year-old onto the radar at Craven Cottage.
Fulham leading race to sign Andre
According to The Sunday Mirror (via The Boot Room), Fulham are at the front of the queue for Andre in January. Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool have also been scouting the central talisman this season, but it’s Silva’s side who are currently in pole position to secure his services.
Fluminense’s starlet is viewed as an ideal replacement for Palhinha should he depart, and it’s stated that he could cost approximately £30m to sign.
Craven Cottage could welcome "leader" in Andre
Naturally being a defensive midfielder, Andre’s best quality is getting stuck into challenges and trying to win back possession for his team which he’s excelled in this season, winning 36 out of his 50 tackles made, more than any other of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Fluminense stats).
The Ibirataia native is also calm and composed on the ball where he’s currently recording a 94.7% pass success rate (WhoScored – Andre stats), which is higher than any of Silva’s squad have managed to achieve since the start of the campaign (WhoScored – Fulham stats), showing he'd be an upgrade on the boss' current options.
Sponsored by Nike, the in-demand star is even a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including four roles in the midfield and even at centre-back, highlighting his ability to provide cover in areas outside of his own should any unexpected injuries occur.
Finally, Andre has recently had a taste of what it’s like to be successful having been crowned the 2022/23 Copa Libertadores winner, and with his organisational skills having seen him described as a “leader” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he could be the ideal replacement for Palhinha.