Tom Cairney, a teammate at Fulham, commended Joao Palhinha amidst ongoing transfer rumors.

Fulham captain Tom Cairney has heaped praise on his teammate Joao Palhinha, hailing the midfielder as “one of the best off the ball” players. Palhinha, 28, has been a key figure for Fulham since joining from Sporting CP in 2022 and has attracted interest from top Premier League clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Although a move to Bayern Munich fell through last summer, Palhinha’s performances have not gone unnoticed.

Speaking ahead of Fulham’s match against Chelsea, Cairney explained why Palhinha is in such high demand, describing him as a “breath of fresh air” on the pitch. Cairney highlighted Palhinha’s ability to quickly recover possession and win back the ball, stating, “If you lose the ball, he smells blood. He’s probably one of the best I’ve ever seen off the ball, in terms of getting back, recovering and trying to win back the ball. He doesn’t just put pressure on them, he goes back to win the ball and does the tackle.”

Cairney, who recently signed a contract extension that will keep him at Fulham until 2025, expressed his pride in reaching such a milestone in modern football. He acknowledged the frequent turnover of players at the club and stated, “It feels like players come and go – well I’ve seen a lot of players come and go at Fulham. A proud moment for me to hopefully reach the 10.”

Fulham currently sits in 13th place in the Premier League table after a mixed December. The team secured impressive victories against Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham, but struggled to find the back of the net in matches against Newcastle, Burnley, and Bournemouth. Additionally, Fulham reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals, losing the first leg 2-1 to Liverpool. The second leg will take place at Craven Cottage on January 24.

Looking ahead to the match against Chelsea, Cairney expressed the team’s ambition to reach the final of the Carabao Cup. He acknowledged the challenge of facing a “world-class team” but emphasized Fulham’s determination to achieve their goal.

For fans wanting to watch the Chelsea vs Fulham match, it will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Coverage will begin at 11:00 on Saturday, January 13, with kick-off at 12:30. TNT Sports is available on major TV platforms such as discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media. To find local establishments showing TNT Sports, fans can use the Pub Finder tool.