Marco Silva urged Palhinha to join Benfica, but one hurdle remains | OneFootball

Benfica remain determined to secure João Palhinha to strengthen their midfield, and Marco Silva has already taken on an important role in the process. The coach knows the Portugal international well from their time together at Fulham between 2022 and 2024, and is said to have spoken directly with the player to convince him to choose the Estádio da Luz. The talks are believed to have been positive, but there is still a significant obstacle to overcome.

According to A BOLA, despite maintaining a good relationship with the Benfica coach, the defensive midfielder knows there are other decisive factors at this stage of the market. At 31, Palhinha has never hidden his desire to return to Portugal and be closer to his family, which could favor the possibility of him wearing the Eagles’ shirt. However, the financial demands involved in the deal continue to hinder progress in the negotiations.

Bayern Munich invested €50 million to sign the player from Fulham in the summer of 2024 and, although they know it will be virtually impossible to recover that amount, they want to receive between €25 million and €30 million to let the midfielder leave. So far, no club has shown a willingness to meet those figures, a scenario that has also led the Bavarians to consider a loan deal.

It is precisely in that context that Aston Villa emerged, having accelerated negotiations in recent days in an attempt to secure the Portugal international on loan. The English club have stronger financial arguments than Benfica, both in terms of a possible loan fee and the player’s wages.

João Palhinha returned to Bayern after spending the 2025/26 season on loan at Tottenham and knows he is not part of Vincent Kompany’s plans for the new campaign. The situation opens the door for Benfica, who are looking to strengthen the position and are counting on Marco Silva’s influence to convince the player. However, as long as Bayern maintain their current demands and Aston Villa continue to push, the signing remains far from guaranteed.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.