Is the Bayern Munich and João Palhinha transfer saga finally over?

During the summer, Bayern Munich found themselves caught in the middle of multiple transfer sagas. With the signing of Harry Kane as well as their unknown goalkeeping situation, Der Rekordmeister could not stay out of the headlines for longer than a day.

However, there was one saga that failed to diminish after the transfer window came to a close, and that was their desire to sign a number six, and more specifically, Fulham’s João Palhinha. Nevertheless, after almost signing for the Bavarian giants, to then agreeing a new contract with Fulham before being linked back to Bayern, it appears that the Portuguese international is set to remain in London.

As reported by Bild, while Thomas Tuchel would ideally like to sign a number six in January, the record champions are prioritising further defensive reinforcement. Due to a number of injuries suffered to Bayern’s backline, the club are looking to recruit a player who can cover across the entire defence and even in midfield if required.

With Palhinha being more of a midfield specialist, he is not considered a necessity this winter. As well as this, Raphaël Guerreiro’s return to the squad from injury has seen him become an important figure in Tuchel’s midfield, while the young Aleksandar Pavlović has impressed in recent weeks and looks set to establish himself in Bayern’s senior squad.

Therefore, it is expected that Der Rekordmeister will look elsewhere for signings this January. However, if the record champions were to return for Palhinha, they would want to spend significantly less than the €65 million they offered on deadline day.

GGFN | Will Shopland