On Monday 4th July 2022, Fulham confirmed the signing of Joao Palhinha from Sporting Clube de Portugal for an undisclosed fee.
The Portugal international agreed a five-year deal, with a Club option for an additional 12 months, keeping him at Craven Cottage until at least the summer of 2027.
An imposing defensive midfielder, Palhinha joined his local side Sporting a decade earlier. After a number of appearances for the club’s B team, he was given a first taste of senior football on loan with Moreirense in 2015/16, making 29 appearances as he helped preserve their top-flight status.
Palhinha was sent to a different Primeira Liga outfit the following campaign, making 13 appearances for Belenenses in the first half of 2016/17 before returning to Sporting where he was a regular in the side that finished third.
A final loan switch followed, as he spent two seasons with Braga, racking up 61 appearances and five goals as his new side finished fourth and third in the Primeira Liga, while they also won the Taça da Liga in his second season.
The ball-winner was then a mainstay in midfield upon his return to his parent club, helping them win the title for the first time since 2002 in his first season back.
He was also named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year that campaign, and helped Sporting to the Taça da Liga title.
Palhinha made it three consecutive Taça da Ligas the following year, but Sporting could not retain their league crown, finishing second behind Porto despite winning 27 of their 34 matches.
He again sampled Champions League football in 2021/22 - having first had a taste in 2017 - helping Sporting progress to the knockout stages, and departs the Lisbon outfit with 95 appearances and seven goals to his name.
Fairly new to the international game, Palhinha was given his senior Portugal debut in a World Cup Qualifier against Azerbaijan in March 2021, but he’s been a regular in the squad ever since.
In 2023/2024 Bayern Munich made an approach for Palhinha which was opposed by Fulham although Joao was reported to be keen on the move. After much tooing and froing a deal seemed to be agreed but it failed to get finalised before the end of the Transfer Window. Palhinha then agreed a new improved deal with Fulham and played with total committment for the following season. In the new Transfer Window a deal was agreed early and Joao Palhinha left Fulham and moved to Bayern leaving many sad fans and concerns about how the club would be able to replace him.
In his first season at Fulham he appeared 43 times in Premiership and Cup games scoring 4 goals and receiving 14 yellows.
the following season he appeared 39 times again scoring 4 goals and increasing his yellolw card tally to 17.
Source: Fulham FC