According to information from The Athletic, the Premier League club have reopened talks over signing the Portuguese player. Aston Villa are even said to be confident they can reach an agreement.
That marks a somewhat surprising development, after sporting director Max Eberl declared talks with the reigning Europa League winners to have failed last week, and the signs had recently been pointing increasingly towards Palhinha moving to Newcastle United.
"People have read that Aston Villa contacted us about Joao. That is correct. But we will not reach an agreement with Aston Villa, it simply will not work. Because we are not in a situation where we have to do what others impose on us," said Eberl. The English club had previously submitted a loan offer with an option to buy to the Munich club, according to reports. Bayern, meanwhile, were reportedly pushing for an immediate sale.
Bayern Munich: will Joao Palhinha be loaned out again after all?
According to Athletic, Aston Villa still believe they can complete a loan deal. After the friendly against RB Leipzig on Saturday, Eberl also stopped short of ruling out a loan altogether. "There are so many different possibilities nowadays for how certain things can be safeguarded. If you have a loan where someone says we are prepared to pay a high loan fee, then you would also have to accept that."
More surprisingly, Bayern were apparently already in concrete talks with a potential buyer around the time of the Leipzig game. Eberl explained why Palhinha was left out of the squad for the Telekom Cup: "There are negotiations. And there are negotiations where a transfer could happen. That is why we did not want to take any risk today." At the same time, he predicted a "lengthy process". Newcastle, however, now allegedly seem to be out of the race, according to the report by The Athletic. Their efforts to sign the defensive midfielder are said to have been unsuccessful, with an agreement unlikely.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese newspaper A Bola reports that Benfica have agreed a four-year contract with Palhinha. An offer of €15 million plus €5 million in possible bonuses is also said to have arrived at Säbener Straße. There had long been rumours about the Portuguese club's interest in Palhinha, who is said to prefer a return to the Premier League.
Getty ImagesBayern Munich: which players else still have to go?
Palhinha joined Bayern from Fulham in 2024 for €50 million at the request of former coach Thomas Tuchel, a year later than originally planned after the collapsed transfer the previous summer, but he failed to meet expectations. Last season, the 31-year-old holding midfielder played on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, but a permanent transfer did not materialise. Bayern are demanding around €25 million for such a deal.
Despite his contract running until 2028, he no longer features in Vincent Kompany's plans. The same goes for Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza, who are also still meant to leave the club at all costs. "We still have almost two and a half weeks," Eberl stressed. "We communicated very clearly from the start, both internally and externally, what the situation is. It is never easy to make such decisions, to deliver such messages, but it is also part of the business."