A year ago, João Palhinha was living a dream. He left Fulham for Bayern in a big €51 million move. But his first season in Germany did not go as planned. He rarely started for coach Vincent Kompany, playing only 25 games and starting 10 of them. Even at the Club World Cup, he only got 45 minutes on the field against Benfica. This was not the impact he hoped for.
German news outlets are reporting that Bayern is ready to sell Palhinha. They also say that some big clubs are interested. Arsenal is leading that list. However, Palhinha has recently said he still wants to prove himself at Bayern.
The German newspaper ‘Bild’ reported yesterday that Arsenal is pushing again for Palhinha. According to their report, the Gunners had already talked with him back in June. No deal happened then, but Arsenal’s interest has not cooled down. This is true even though Arsenal has brought in new midfielders like Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Norgaard from Brentford. Both clubs might sit down to talk again soon.
Sources in Germany suggest that Bayern would be happy to accept offers between €25 million and €30 million. Earlier this week, there were also reports that Inter Milan was interested in the 30-year-old player. In England, clubs like Tottenham, West Ham, and Aston Villa are also showing interest.
The midfield competition at Bayern is very tough. Players like Kimmich, Goretzka, and Pavlovic seem to be ahead of the Portuguese player in the lineup. The addition of Bischof also gives the team more options in the middle. Still, Palhinha spoke to ‘SportTV’ and repeated his goal to succeed in Bavaria.
“I have a contract with Bayern for three more years,” Palhinha said. “So I will report for pre-season on the 29th. It was not an easy year, of course. But I am very driven to show my worth at a huge club like Bayern once the season begins.”