Bild: Benfica prepares €25m bid for Bayern's Palhinha, agreement close

Hupu Football News — July 12th

German media outlet Bild has provided an update on Bayern Munich's transfer situation involving midfielder João Palhinha.

According to Bild, Portuguese club Benfica is interested in signing Palhinha and is currently in negotiations with the player's representatives. However, no agreement has been reached yet. Multiple Portuguese media outlets have also reported the local giant's interest. It is understood that Benfica is prepared to offer a transfer fee of around €25 million.

Bild reports that reaching an agreement with Bayern Munich on the fee is highly promising. However, financing such a deal is not straightforward for Benfica. Although the club is considered the richest in Portugal, a transfer fee exceeding €20 million would place Palhinha among the ten most expensive signings in the club's history—and he is a player over 30 years old.

Additionally, the player's high salary is a major consideration. Palhinha currently earns approximately €8.5 million per year at Bayern Munich. What kind of offer Benfica will ultimately make to both Bayern and the player remains to be seen.

Benfica's Head Coach Previously Coached Palhinha at Fulham

The main driving force behind Benfica's pursuit of Palhinha is believed to be their new head coach, Marco Silva (49). Silva coached Fulham from 2022 to 2024 and was a key figure during Palhinha's time at the Premier League club.

Interestingly, if Benfica completes this deal, they will bring back a player developed in their own youth academy. The defensive midfielder played for Benfica from 2013 to 2022, during which he was loaned out multiple times for experience.

Benfica is currently stepping up their transfer market activity following a trophyless season:

• Under former head coach José Mourinho (now at Real Madrid), the team finished third in the Portuguese league
• Lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League play-offs (0–1 and 1–2 on aggregate)
• Defeated by Porto in the cup quarter-finals (0–1)
• Lost to Braga in the domestic Allianz Cup semi-finals (1–3)

Moreover, Benfica is eager to outpace their arch-rivals Sporting CP in the competition—reportedly, Sporting has recently considered bringing Palhinha back.

The Portuguese Player Has No Future at Bayern Munich

The defensive midfielder has no place at Bayern Munich. Former head coach Thomas Tuchel (now coaching an English team) had hoped to sign Palhinha in the summer of 2023. Although the player had passed his medical, Fulham refused to let him go at the last minute. The transfer was eventually completed a year later for €49.5 million.

After playing only 25 official matches under "double winner" head coach Vincent Kompany, the Portuguese international (37 caps, not selected for the World Cup squad) left Bayern Munich for London in the summer of 2025. Now, Palhinha's market value is expected to be only about half of the transfer fee from two years ago.

Source: Bild

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