Fulham have slapped a remarkable £90million valuation on Joao Palhinha in a bid to dissuade potential suitors including West Ham from signing their defensive midfielder this summer.
Senior sources at Fulham say they are using the £100m asking price for Declan Rice as a benchmark. West Ham are one of the clubs interested in Palhinha as a replacement for Rice.
Palhinha is 27 years old while Rice is only 24 – and not considered to be at the same level in quality – but Fulham feel in a strong position with their player tied down until 2027.
Interested rivals will not entertain Fulham's £90m figure but may test their resolve with lower offers, most feeling the tough-tackling midfielder is worth closer to £50m.
Palhinha has impressed since joining Fulham for £20m from Sporting Lisbon last summer.
The 27-year-old quickly established himself as a key part of Marco Silva's side that defied expectations to comfortably finish in the top half of the table.
Palhinha made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Cottagers in his debut season at the club.
The Portuguese international anchored a robust Fulham midfield and led the league with 147 tackles last term.
His excellent performances also led to interest from across the Premier League's top six, with both Manchester United and Liverpool reportedly keeping tabs on the defensive midfielder.