Arsenal held transfer talks for Joao Palhinha ahead of the Club World Cup but were ultimately unable to reach an agreement, according to a report from Germany.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Joao Palhinha of Fulham arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham FC at Molineux on March 09, 2024 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Heiko Niedderer reports for Bild that Arsenal were keen on Bayern Munich and former Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha ahead of the Club World Cup, and there were even reports of concrete figures being discussed.
The Gunners were looking at Palhinha as a second midfield addition on top of Martin Zubimendi, joining this summer from Real Sociedad.
Yet Arsenal were ultimately unable to reach an agreement, and Palhinha is focusing on staying at Bayern despite other interest from Inter Milan and other clubs across Europe.
Christian Norgaard after signing for Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal.com)
Photo via Arsenal.com
Arsenal were presumably only looking at Palhinha until they decided to sign Christian Norgaard from Brentford, with the Danish international providing cover for Zubimendi in a defensive midfield role.
After that, the Gunners had other positions to attend to, including centre-back (Cristhian Mosquera), the wings (Noni Madueke), centre-forward (Viktor Gyokeres), and another versatile attacker (perhaps Eberechi Eze).
It’s very unlikely there’s any money left in the budget for a third defensive midfield signing, so the Palhinha pursuit is surely at an end.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Joao Palhinha of Fulham celebrates after scoring their team's fourth penalty in the penalty shoot out during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage on August 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Arsenal were also interested in Palhinha when he was still with Fulham, but they never made a serious move as Bayern ultimately wrapped up a deal.
With Palhinha playing limited minutes with Bayern this season, Arsenal may have seen an opportunity if the price was right. As that didn’t turn out to be the case, the Gunners quickly pivoted to other targets.
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