Chelsea are interested in signing 28 year old Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha to beef up the midfield this summer, according to The Sun.

Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham are also interested in signing the Portuguese midfielder this summer but Fulham boss Marco Silva is determined to resist bids for the star.

Fulham paid an initial £17million to sign Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon last year but his performances so far in this campaign will have more than doubled his value to £40m-plus. 

He has made more tackles than any midfielder in the big five leagues in Europe and has been the heartbeat of Silva’s side as they chase qualification for Uefa competition next season.

Palhinha still has four years left on his Fulham contract with Fulham also having the option to extend his contract by another year.