Eberl stands firm! Bayern makes a clear demand in the Palhinha saga | OneFootball

At FC Bayern, the signs continue to point clearly toward João Palhinha’s departure. Aston Villa is working intensively to sign the Portuguese player and would like to bring the midfielder in on loan. However, the Munich club has a different plan and is pushing for a permanent transfer.

While there are unlikely to be any further developments on the incoming front at FC Bayern, sporting director Max Eberl still has a lot of work to do on the outgoing front. Alongside Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza, João Palhinha is one of the players for whom a solution must be found by the end of the transfer window.

The 31-year-old’s prospects on the field in Munich are limited. Club officials have already made this clear to Palhinha. Even Vincent Kompany made no secret of the fact during the Asian tour that changes could still be in store for some players.

Although Palhinha completed the entire preseason with Bayern, he is likely to slip further down the pecking order with the return of the established players in central midfield.

In the 2-1 friendly win against Jeju, the Portuguese player was on the field for about an hour. Against Aston Villa, however, he didn’t enter the game until the 60-minute mark. With Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic, two regular midfielders are increasingly returning to full fitness. Added to that are Tom Bischof and new signing Bara Sapoko Ndiaye.

Bayern wants to draw a definitive line under the matter

There is certainly no shortage of clubs interested in Palhinha. Aston Villa, in particular, is actively pursuing the former Fulham player.

As reported by *kicker*, the English club would prefer to sign Palhinha on loan. However, this is not the preferred solution for FC Bayern. Palhinha himself is reportedly already in agreement with the Europa League champions.

According to the report, the Munich club wants to sell the midfielder outright and is negotiating a deal with Aston Villa to that effect.

It comes as little surprise that Bayern wants to avoid another loan. Palhinha was already loaned to Tottenham Hotspur last season. The Spurs had an option to buy but ultimately did not exercise it.

According to information from *kicker*, a basic agreement between the clubs was not the main issue. Rather, Palhinha’s salary demands are said to have stood in the way of him staying in London permanently.

Photo: IMAGO

For FC Bayern, a sale this summer would therefore be important for several reasons. Palhinha was signed from FC Fulham in 2024 for around 50 million euros, but he was never able to establish himself in Munich on a long-term basis.

A permanent transfer would not only bring in a transfer fee but also remove a high salary from the payroll. That is precisely why Bayern’s management prefers to draw a definitive line under the situation rather than extend the loan.

Aston Villa, at least, is a club that has shown concrete interest. The English side is looking to strengthen its midfield and is already in talks with the German record champions.

How quickly the two sides can reach an agreement will likely depend above all on whether Aston Villa moves away from its preferred loan model and meets Bayern halfway on a permanent transfer.

Eberl is taking a similar approach with his other players on the transfer list. Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza are also intended to be sold on a permanent basis if possible. However, finding a solution is proving particularly difficult in the case of the Spaniard.

In Palhinha’s case, the situation appears to be much more concrete. There’s an interested party, talks are underway—now Aston Villa and Bayern just need to agree on the transfer terms.