The saga is finally nearing its closure, much to the bemusement of West Ham supporters.
After endless months of speculation that has seen Declan Rice linked with every top club in the country, it emerged as a straight shootout for his signature between Arsenal and Manchester City.
However, it was confirmed that the Premier League Champions weren’t prepared to enter into any kind of bidding war, which ceded momentum to the high-flying Gunners, who agreed to a £105m move for the Englishman.
This has presented the West Ham hierarchy and David Moyes with a monumental budget to reinvest in the inexplicable gap that the club captain is set to leave.
With this sort of money and the attraction of yet another year of European football, the Irons could tempt a huge pool of irresistibly talented players.
One man who has been tipped to replace and has enjoyed a magnificent season is Joao Palhinha.
What’s the latest on Joao Palhinha to West Ham?
According to TheSecretScout, the Irons have made the Fulham midfielder their “top priority” this summer as talks between the club and the player’s representative have already taken place.
However, a stumbling block remains due to the size of the fee being asked.
It was previously revealed by Football Insider that the Cottagers will only consider his sale for around £60m.
For other clubs, this figure is a startling and unmanageable price tag, but with the East London outfit financed and buoyed with the money acquired from Rice, a deal is definitely possible.
How good is Joao Palhinha?
In his debut season in England, the 27-year-old has forged a tremendous reputation as one of the division’s most influential and commanding forces – a crucial component of a Fulham side that has massively overachieved.
This is reinforced by the fact that the Portuguese made the most tackles (147) in the Premier League, which was comfortably more than second-placed Moises Caicedo (100).
This remarkable statistic means that the former Sporting Lisbon star also ranks impressively across the continent, as he sits in the top 1% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90. But, his status as an authoritative pivot is also cemented by his position within the best 12% for clearances per 90 and aerials won per 90.
With this tough-tackling, physically imperious profile, Palhinha could fill the boots of former Hammer Scott Parker.
Across four seasons for the East Londoners, between 2007 and 2011, the former Bournemouth manager made 129 appearances and won Hammer of the Year on two occasions.
During the 2009/10 season, when Parker secured the award on the second occasion, he mirrored the assets that Palhinha has expertly displayed.
Indeed, the 5 foot 9 man recorded similar stats to the Fulham star in the Premier League for tackles per game (3.3 vs 4.2), interceptions per game (2.4 vs 1.3), and clearances (1.4 vs 1.7).
Described as “fantastic” by Gary Neville, Palhinha has already shown he is a commendably reliable player in English football and would be an excellent way to ease the woes surrounding Rice’s exit.