Shropshire Star

Stats insight: A look at Wolves target Joao Palhinha

As Wolves remain in talks to sign Joao Palhinha, the Express & Star dives into last season's statistics for the Sporting midfielder.

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The 26-year-old enjoyed a successful season in Portugal's top flight and has become a desired target for Premier League teams due to his no-nonsense, physical approach.

He is a 6ft 2in defensive midfielder that prides himself on tackles and winning the ball back, with an aggressive approach that will suit Bruno Lage's football.

Tackling

This is Palhinha's bread and butter. Across his 27 Primeira Liga appearances in 2021/22, the midfielder was an important cog in the Sporting machine with his impressive ability to win possession.

Looking at SofaScore statistics, he won an average of seven duels a game – coming out at around 60 per cent of his ground duels and 65 per cent of his aerial duels. Over the course of a season, that is a consistent and strong average for a player that could add much needed strength and height to Wolves' side.

An average of three tackles per game is also high considering how often Sporting would have had the ball against lesser opponents. Palhinha effectively sweeps up in front of the defence in his holding role.

What is, perhaps, most impressive is his 'errors' column. Throughout the whole league season – and six Champions League games – Palhinha made zero errors that led to either a shot or goal. He also did not give away any penalties.

Positioning

Often playing in a 3-4-3 for Sporting, Palhinha's role in the midfield two is crucial and is similar to how he could be utilised at Wolves if he makes the move.

As opposed to previous seasons, Wolves' midfielders are more rigid in their 3-4-3 and often stay on the right or left side for the most part.

Joao Palhinha heat map (SofaScore)

Palhinha's heat map for the league season shows he had more of a licence to roam across midfield, while still sitting in the holding role, but for the most part he popped up on the right of midfield.

That would suit Wolves and Lage wants to play. He wants a committed, aggressive and technically gifted midfield and Palhinha could be a great fit.

Passing

Palhinha does not have the creative range of passing that Ruben Neves possesses, meaning he cannot be a direct replacement if Neves departs, but he is certainly reliable.

His statistics for key passes and big chances created are low, but his overall accuracy is high. He averaged 88 per cent pass accuracy per game over the season, with 93 per cent accuracy in his own half.

Although he did not try long balls too often, averaging just under three a game, Palhinha did have reasonable success with 70 per cent accuracy, alongside 71 per cent accuracy for chipped passes.

Overall, he could offer a consistent ball-winning midfielder who is reliable on the ball and could find long passes to wing-backs and spring attacks.