Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson has signed a new long-term contract which keeps him at the London club until 2028.

The USA international who signed for Fulham in 2020 for £2m from Wigan Athletic, had been linked with a move away from Craven Cottage.

Meanwhile, Neeskens Kebano has left Fulham after his contract expired.

The DR Congo winger, 31, spent seven years at Fulham and helped the club gain promotion to the Premier League on three occasions.

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JUST IN:Insider shares interesting transfer claim out of West Ham

The Hammers could make their move in the next couple of days

West Ham United’s interest in Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha is “definitely real”, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What is the latest news regarding Joao Palhinha?

The Hammers are reportedly interested in bringing the 27-year-old to the London Stadium as they look to replace their departing club captain Declan Rice, who is set to join Arsenal for a record £105m fee.

They aren’t the only side with interest in the Portuguese defensive midfielder, with Football Insider reporting that Premier League sides Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa have all explored the possibility of bringing the player to their respective club. However, a number of these sides have since “cooled their interest” and are focusing on other targets for the position.

Fulham are believed to be intent on keeping one of their stars this summer and have placed a £90m pricetag on the former Sporting man, according to reports, in an attempt to dissuade potential suitors.

The report states that the Cottagers have used the record fee received for Rice as a benchmark, with the club believing the pair perform at a similar level. This position of strength with negotiations is also helped by the fact that the Portugal international has four more years remaining on his contract.

Palhinha isn’t the only option the Irons are considering, with Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria and Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez also making the shortlist. ExWHUEmployee told The West Ham Way podcast that the club are set to begin opening approaches for all three targets soon.

Speaking on The Football Terrace’s Done Deal show, transfer insider Jones, who is a Fulham fan, revealed that the threat of West Ham swooping in for the midfielder is real, whilst the Hammers also have another name on their shortlist to potentially partner the 27-year-old:

“As a Fulham fan, I’d be happy if we just got the squad we had from last season going into the new one, because the threat around Palhinha is definitely real from West Ham. I just hope, and I think that he’ll end up staying with us rather than going to West Ham.

“West Ham is obviously one that is going to get interesting in the next few days. They’re going for Denis Zakaria, looking at a loan with a view to an option to sign him further down the line but they are also looking at Palhinha as a signing that would happen alongside him.”

How good is Joao Palhinha?

Palhinha enjoyed a fantastic debut campaign with the Cottagers last season, winning the club’s Player of the Season award as they finished in the top half of the Premier League for the first time in over a decade.

Referred to as “the master destroyer” by The Athletic’s Peter Rutzler, the 27-year-old led the division across a key defensive category following his now bargain £20m move from Portugal

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The midfielder led the league in tackles made quite comfortably with 147. That was ahead of second-placed Moises Caicedo who could only manage 100 last campaign, showcasing why so sides maintain an interest in the midfielder.

WhoScored ranked Palhinha as the fifth-best player for his club last campaign, and the sixth-best defensive midfielder in the Premier League last season with an average rating of 6.93.

An intangible factor that will also make his side desperate to keep him is his availability, with the midfielder missing zero games through injury last season and making 40 appearances across all competitions for the London side.

A player who has received praise from managers in the past, including former coach Ruben Amorim who described him as a “special” talent, it’s clear to see why David Moyes is so desperate to bring the Cottagers Player of the Year to the London Stadium