There is no release clause in Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha's contract, the club's director of football operations Tony Khan has confirmed.
The Portuguese midfielder has frequently been linked with a move to Manchester United over the years, although his switch to the London club last year appeared to have put an end to those claims. He has also reportedly been lined up by West Ham United as a possible replacement for reported United target Declan Rice.
West Ham skipper Rice is expected to leave his boyhood club this summer. He is in the final 12 months of his contract at the London Stadium and chairman David Sullivan admits the UEFA Conference League final win over Fiorentina is set to be Rice's final game for the club.
As with Palhinha, United have been linked with Rice's signature this summer in several reports. However, it has been claimed that Arsenal are in pole position for Rice if he does depart West Ham.
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According to reports from talkSPORT, Fulham's Palhinha has been pinpointed as Rice's successor by West Ham. The 27-year-old has a deal at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2027 after joining the Cottagers last summer.
Palhinha scored five goals in 40 appearances for the London side as Fulham secured a tenth place finish in the top flight in the recently concluded campaign. The reports have suggested that former Sporting Lisbon man Palinha has a release clause in his Fulham contract.
If so, then West Ham or United would still be able to pull off signing the Portugal international this summer - although Khan has now poured cold water on these claims. Khan is also vice-chairman the London club, and son of Cottagers chairman Shahid Khan.
Taking to Twitter to discuss the speculation regarding Palhinha's contract, he wrote: "There is no release clause."
In March, former United forward Dimitar Berbatov said Palhinha is "good enough to play for Manchester United".
He said: "If a team like Manchester United, or a team of a similar calibre, comes for him, then he's going to think it's time for the next step and to win trophies. He's had a brilliant first season in the Premier League but he needs to maintain that level of consistency.
"He can't believe that all the hard work is done after one season because remaining consistent is going to benefit his career a lot more. He is good enough to play for Manchester United at the moment."
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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