Wolves looked nailed on to sign Joao Palhinha at one point, says journalist Jacque Talbot.

Palhinha now appears to be closing in on a move to Fulham, but Talbot says he had been told that Molineux was the Sporting Lisbon midfielder's most likely destination after he was offered to a few clubs.

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What is the latest news involving Palhinha?

According to the Daily Mail, newly-promoted Fulham are hopeful of signing Palhinha after agreeing a £15m deal with Sporting.

The west London club landing the 26-year-old will come as a huge blow to Wolves, who were initially thought to have been leading the race for his signature.

In fact, earlier this month, The Sun claimed that the Midlands outfit were confident of bringing Palhinha to Molineux as they prepare for a possible Ruben Neves departure.

However, everything is now pointing towards Palhinha becoming a Fulham player before the new season starts.

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What has Talbot said about Palhinha and Wolves?

While Talbot was always confident that Palhinha would be coming to the Premier League based on his information, the journalist expected Wolves to be his next club.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Talbot said: "I was told in February that he'd be coming to the Premier League and he'd been offered around to Spurs, Newcastle and Man United, but I was told that it would be Wolves that he'd go to."

Why do Fulham and Wolves want Palhinha?

Palhinha is the kind of midfielder who is going to help his team win the ball back in the middle of the park.

Over the last year, compared to his positional peers, the Portugal international has ranked in the 99th percentile for pressures, the 86th for tackles and the 92nd for blocks (via FBref).

From Fulham's perspective, they will be looking to improve the quality of their squad in general following their return to the Premier League, while Wolves seem to be preparing for life after Neves, who has been linked with a move away from Molineux.

The 25-year-old plays in the Portugal national team with Palhinha and has had some very nice words to say about his compatriot.

"Palhinha is an excellent player, that’s why he is called up to the national team as well," Neves recently told Desporto. "It is up to the manager to make his decisions and see who has the best characteristics for a given game."

At club level, though, it does not look like Palhinha will be playing with Neves or replacing him next season.