João Palhinha is Sporting's top choice, but there's a big obstacle | OneFootball

Sporting are already preparing for the future without Morten Hjulmand and have a clear name in mind to take over from the Lions’ captain. At this stage, the preferred target of the green-and-white hierarchy is João Palhinha, a midfielder developed at Alcochete and internally seen as the ideal profile to fill the position left by the Danish international.

At Alvalade, Hjulmand’s departure in the next summer transfer window is viewed as an almost inevitable scenario, which has led Sporting’s football officials to speed up contacts and assessments in search of a worthy successor. In addition to his qualities on the pitch, Palhinha also brings leadership traits that appeal to the board,

Even so, the process promises to be complex and is expected to drag on beyond the World Cup. The Portugal international is currently on loan from Bayern Munich to Tottenham, with the English club still holding the option to make the midfielder’s move permanent for €30 million at the end of the season.

If the London side choose not to go ahead with the purchase, Sporting believe they could then truly enter the race to try to convince Palhinha to return to Alvalade. However, wages are emerging as one of the biggest obstacles to the deal, since the player currently earns more than €9 million gross per season, figures that are beyond Sporting’s financial reality.

Sporting’s strong focus on João Palhinha has also cooled their interest in Sergi Altimira, a midfielder for Real Betis. The Spanish player remains highly rated, but pressure from Leipzig has reduced Sporting’s room for manoeuvre, with the club aware that they are unlikely to compete financially with the Germans.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.