The silly season has started well before Christmas in the red tops. The Daily Star Sunday suggests that Manchester City are interested in signing Portuguese powerhouse Joao Palhinha and are considering making a bid of £50m. How nice of them.

I’m not sure why the Star wasted the column inches on this story – and it is even more bewildering seeing the Mirror and other outlets rehashing it. Every piece references the fact that Fulham agreed a £65m deal with Bayern Munich to sell Palhinha in September only for the move to fall foul of the German transfer deadline, but the Cottagers have been scotched suggests that the division’s best defensive midfielder won’t leave SW6 for a discounted fee – however much the Bavarians brief their favoured reporters.

Marco Silva referenced the widespread interest in the player he nurtured through the Sporting youth ranks during Thursday’s press conference – claiming that ten or fifteen clubs could come calling in January. But Palhinha has put pen to paper on a contract extension, which strengthens the club’s position, and would leave them demanding double the paltry £50m that City are linked with this weekend.

City Football Group, backed by the bountiful resources of Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, certainly have the means to pay what Palhinha is worth so if Pep Guardiola is genuinely seeking an enforcer at the base of his midfield following the failed Kalvin Philips experiment, then he can splash the cash.