João Palhinha joins Benfica from Bayern Munich on deal to 2030 | OneFootball

João Palhinha joins Benfica from Bayern Munich on deal to 2030 | OneFootball

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·26 August 2026

João Palhinha joins Benfica from Bayern Munich on deal to 2030

Article image:João Palhinha joins Benfica from Bayern Munich on deal to 2030

João Palhinha has completed a move to Benfica from Bayern Munich, signing until 30 June 2030. The Portugal international is a defensive midfielder.

The club said in a statement that the 31-year-old joins in a deal worth 14 million euros for all his rights, with a further five million euros possible in add-ons.


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His contract carries a 50 million euros release clause. He becomes one of Benfica's new arrivals alongside Gabriel Índio, Clément Lenglet, Jakub Kamisnki, Jhon Durán and Alessandro Circati.

Despite interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle, Palhinha prioritised a return to Portugal. Being nearer to his family was the key factor at this stage.

Marco Silva viewed him as the most sought-after addition, having worked with Palhinha at Fulham from 2022 to 2024. He previously had a notable spell at Sporting in the Portuguese league.

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”

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