Player on the trading block is pushing for a departure from Bayern—will a deal be struck this week? | OneFootball

A player on the transfer list apparently wants to leave FC Bayern as soon as possible. The midfielder is said to have urged his agent to take action.

The transfer saga surrounding Joao Palhinha appears to be entering the home stretch. The Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola reports that the Portuguese player has given his agent clear instructions: A decision is to be made this week, and the deal is to be finalized as quickly as possible.

This aligns with Sporting Lisbon’s plans. According to A Bola, the top Portuguese club also wants to resolve the matter quickly. Sporting is considered Palhinha’s preferred destination—but the club and the German record champions are still far apart in their expectations.

The sticking point is the transfer fee: Bayern is demanding 25 million

The sticking point is the money. FC Bayern is reportedly demanding around 25 million euros for Palhinha—a sum that Sporting is unwilling to pay. Instead, according to the report, Lisbon plans to approach the Munich club with a different model: a one-year loan with an obligation to buy.

Photo: IMAGO

Because both clubs are sticking to their positions, negotiations for the soon-to-be 31-year-old have made little progress recently. According to A Bola, Lisbon is unwilling to spend 25 million euros on a player of advanced age who has virtually no resale value.

For Bayern, a second suitor could prove to be a bargaining chip. According to the report, a return to his current loan club, Tottenham Hotspur, is not yet off the table. The English club would have significantly less trouble coming up with the demanded 25 million euros.

Palhinha himself, however, has apparently made his priorities clear. Despite reports to the contrary, the midfielder, according to A Bola, is determined to join Sporting; the London-based Spurs are only his second choice. A final decision could therefore be made as early as this week.