Palhinha ‘rejects’ Newcastle as Benfica move nears | OneFootball

Record writes that João Palhinha has turned down Newcastle and is edging towards joining Benfica, coached by Marco Silva, with confidence a deal could be sealed this week.

Benfica continue to prioritise the 31-year-old midfielder for their engine room, and president Rui Costa is ready to make a significant push to bring him back to Luz.

Palhinha’s desire to return to Portugal is seen as a major advantage for Benfica’s hierarchy, and an understanding with the player is already in place, with the main contest coming from Bayern Munich.

Bayern do not intend to loan him out again and are seeking to recoup part of what they paid Fulham, valuing the Portugal international at about 25 million euros. Benfica are prepared to commit around 20 million euros including bonuses.

To keep the deal on track, Benfica’s SAD are willing to offer 2.5 million euros net per season, plus a 1 million signing-on fee, aiming to bring his terms closer to offers elsewhere.

Source: Glorioso 1904

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