West Ham United could move on from their pursuit of Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha after the Cottagers have placed a huge price tag on the 27-year-old, according to Paul Brown.

Do West Ham want Joao Palhinha?

Now that Declan Rice has almost finalised a £105m deal to Arsenal, the Hammers, who must have been preparing for this moment for some time, will need to find a replacement.

The Hammers captain will be sorely missed at the London Stadium having made a staggering 245 appearances for the club at just 24, and West Ham will have to make sure they have a proper succession plan in place.

One man who has been seen as someone who could fill the void is Fulham’s Palhinha, who was mightily impressive in his debut Premier League season last term.

The major stumbling block for a potential deal is Fulham’s unwillingness to part ways with their Portuguese star, and the Cottagers have reportedly slapped a staggering £90m price tag on their midfielder.

According to journalist Paul Brown, David Moyes may turn his attention elsewhere after seeing the eye-watering fee it would take to bring Palhinha to the club.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Brown said: “Fulham are very, very determined not to let Palhinha leave. They’ve quoted a massive fee to try and ward people off. It may be that West Ham move on really from that situation.

“I don’t think it’s hugely likely they’ll be able to get him now. I think Fulham will dig their heels in and won’t be willing to accept the kind of fee that West Ham think is reasonable.”

This will come as a blow to West Ham who need reinforcements if they are to improve upon their 14th-placed Premier League finish – just six points away from the relegation zone – while also trying to compete in the Europa League.

If Palhinha was perhaps a few years younger, then such a deal may be more worthwhile, but his advancing age means that there would be little to no possible sell-on value for the Irons, and they would perhaps need to replace him again in several years time.

Why do West Ham want Joao Palhinha?

When looking at his numbers, it is incredibly obvious why West Ham are so interested in Palhinha.

West Ham prepare approach for Fulham star Joao Palhinha as Hammers eye replacement for Declan Rice | Daily Mail Online

The defensive midfielder was quietly one of the top performers in the division last season, sitting in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders for tackles (4.26), tackles won (2.40), dribblers tackled (2.06) and tackles in the midfield (1.88) and the attacking (0.7) third per 90 last season.

Put simply, he’s an absolute defensive machine.

Described by teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic as an “amazing, amazing player”, he has adapted to life in the Premier League seamlessly and, quite honestly, merits his Fulham valuation.