Why Chelsea refused to sign this 28-year-old midfielder

Chelsea are keen on signing a new midfielder before the close of the summer transfer window, but they have a criteria on the kind of player they want.

A report revealed the Blues have turned down the chance to sign 28-year-old Portugal international Joao Palhinha from Fulham as they feel he is ‘too old.’

So far, the West London club have been building their team with young talents ahead of the 2023–24 season.

A report via talkSPORT revealed the Blues presented Palhinha as a possible alternative to 21-year-old top target Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

However, they felt the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder, who recently turned 28, does not match the age profile of their recruitment team.

A look at the Chelsea squad showed the average age of their starting squad for manager Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in charge, the 5-0 friendly win over Wrexham, was less than 21.