Revealed, why Palhinha turned away from Sporting before Benfica move | OneFootball

The reason that kept João Palhinha away from Sporting before signing for Benfica during the last transfer window has finally been revealed. The defensive midfielder was linked with the Lions, but ultimately ended up joining the Glorious One.

According to newspaper A Bola, the green-and-white club submitted an official offer of €8 million fixed plus €4 million in add-ons to Bayern Munich for the Portugal international. However, the German club refused to meet on two occasions because of the option clause retained by Tottenham.

Faced with the uncertainty and deadlock in negotiations with the Germans, Sporting’s board decided to pull out of the race for the defensive midfielder in June. Sporting then moved decisively for the signing of Sergi Altimira. The announcement of the choice of the Spanish midfielder was communicated to the Portuguese player himself on June 27.

With the Alvalade club withdrawing and Tottenham saying no, Benfica took the opportunity to enter the race strongly during July. The Eagles sealed the deal with Bayern Munich for €14 million fixed and €5 million in add-ons. The player’s strong desire to return to Portugal helped smooth the entire agreement.

The Portugal international also attracted several interested clubs in England, where well-known sides such as Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton and Manchester United tried to secure his services. However, the Reds’ project and the connection toMarco Silva carried more weight when it came to making the final decision.

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