Manchester United are ready to battle Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United to sign Bayern Munich defensive midfielder João Palhinha. The 30-year-old joined Bayern from Fulham last summer, but struggled to get significant game time under Bayern manager Vincent Kompany.
Nevertheless, Palhinho holds a lot of respect that he acquired during his stint with Fulham, where he dominated the midfield. The 30-year-old midfielder is still in the prime of his career and could act as a short-term solution for United.
Ruben Amorim has struggled to build cohesiveness and understanding into the squad that he inherited from manager Erik ten Hag. However, the midfield problems are something that has persisted from Ten Hag’s time with the Red Devils, despite many signings.
Manchester United could partner Bruno Fernandes with his Portuguese compatriot and Bayern Munich star João Palhinha.
Manchester United could partner Bruno Fernandes with his Portuguese compatriot and Bayern Munich star João Palhinha.
Only Bruno Fernandes’ position in the midfield is secure in the 3-4-2-1 formation, while the Red Devils need another midfielder. Palhinha fits the profile perfectly and could help the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, who is still developing at the moment.
Mainoo missed a lot of games last season due to nagging injuries, but remains a pivotal part of the setup. Rotating him with Palhinha could help the Red Devils immensely in a season where there is no European competition fixture.
According to CaughtOffside, Man United are ready to battle Tottenham and West Ham to sign Palhinha from Bayern this summer. The Portuguese international is available for around €30-35m (£30m), which is significantly lower than the €51m (£44m) price Bayern paid for him.
Aston Villa and Brighton are also interested in the defensive midfielder, highlighting the impact he made during his Fulham tenure. These kinds of shrewd signings are something that United lacked in their past transfer windows, causing them financial problems eventually.
The Red Devils need to break that chain and act decisively in the market, focusing on both long-term and short-term solutions. Rest assured, the likelihood of Palhinha returning to the Premier League is very high, and any team would benefit from his services.