Joao Palhinha looks up to pass the ball while playing for Bayern Munich
Joao Palhinha looks up to pass the ball while playing for Bayern Munich
Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images
Aston Villa look set to miss out on Joao Palhinha, as Bayern Munich and Benfica have an agreement in place for the Portuguese midfielder.
The Villans have been one of the busiest Premier League sides in the ongoing transfer window in terms of both buying and selling.
They have lost some key players like Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne already and are on their way to losing centre-back Ezri Konsa.
The England centre-back is due for a medical today before he joins league champions Arsenal, ending a seven-year stint at the club.
Villa, though, have shown ambition when bringing in players to beef up the squad with the additions of Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri and Alejandro Garnacho.
Unai Emery, though, is prioritising strengthening his engine room as Amadou Onana has suffered a long-term injury, while Boubacar Kamara’s injury record is also a concern.
Palhinha, who performed brilliantly at Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Bayern Munich, emerged as a top option for the Birmingham club.
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He rejected Newcastle United last week, as his preference was to join the Europa League winners instead.
However, Benfica have been showing keen interest in trying to tempt him back to Portugal and the Portuguese defensive midfielder leaned into joining the Liga Portugal giants for family reasons.
And now, according to Portuguese broadcaster SIC Noticias, Bayern Munich and Benfica have an agreement in place for the 31-year-old.
It has been suggested that Benfica are offering €15m guaranteed, with €5m more in bonuses to the German giants for his services.
The Villans are keen on adding players to different positions on the pitch and now that Palhinha looks set to be on his way to Portugal, they must look for new targets in the remainder of the ongoing window.
Currently, they are working to bring in a former Premier League defender in the shape of Fikayo Tomori to Villa Park, amid interest from other English clubs.