Aston Villa’s chances of signing João Palhinha may have received another lift. Bayern Munich is now making it crystal clear the midfielder has no long-term future at the club.
The Portugal international has been on Villa’s radar for weeks as Unai Emery looks to reshape his midfield. Meanwhile, Benfica have also been pushing hard to bring the 31-year-old back home.
There has never been much doubt Bayern wanted to move Palhinha on this summer. However, sporting director Christoph Freund has now said it publicly for the first time.
Speaking after Palhinha featured in a friendly against Wehen Wiesbaden, Freund admitted both the midfielder and Sacha Boey have already been told they are not part of Vincent Kompany’s plans. His words were reported by Abendzeitung in Germany and relayed by Record in Portugal.
“They’re training with us, but they won’t play an important role here. I know they’re aware of that,” Freund said.
“They’re both good players. They’ll continue to train and play here for now, but the plan is for them to take the next step somewhere else.”
Bayern soften stance
Interestingly, those comments came shortly after Palhinha himself had insisted he still hoped to stay at Bayern.
“The plan is to keep my place here,” the midfielder told the reporters, although Freund’s remarks suggest the club have already reached a very different conclusion.
According to Record, Bayern’s preferred outcome remains a permanent sale, with the Bundesliga champions continuing to value Palhinha at around €25m (£21.7m). Their strategy has been to avoid another loan after last season’s spell at Tottenham.
Even so, Freund refused to completely shut the door on that possibility.
“You can’t rule anything out in the market,” he said. “They’re both good players and have a market. They’d fit into many European teams.”
He also pointed to Palhinha’s recent spell in England. Additionally, he added: “João was an important player in helping Tottenham stay in the Premier League.”
Aston Villa still have reason for optimism
Portuguese reports have repeatedly linked Unai Emery’s side with a move for Palhinha as they look to strengthen their midfield. A loan including an option to buy has previously been mentioned as one of the possible structures.
While Bayern would still rather complete a permanent sale, Freund’s comments suggest there is room for flexibility. This could help move the midfielder on before the transfer window closes.
With Bayern now publicly confirming Palhinha is outside Kompany’s plans, Aston Villa and Benfica both have greater clarity over the situation. The only question now is which club can come up with the proposal that finally convinces Bayern to let the Portugal international leave.
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