Sérgio Krithinas reveals Palhinha chat before Benfica move: He told me... | OneFootball

Sérgio Krithinas revealed a conversation he had with João Palhinha at a time when his future was still up in the air, before heading to Benfica, in which the midfielder said he would join a club where he felt wanted.

"In July, I had a few days off and traveled around Europe with my family. At the airport, I ran into João Palhinha, precisely when Benfica’s interest in the player was announced. I spoke with him briefly. He told me he wasn’t really sure what his future would be and that he would go where he felt most appreciated and wanted. I was clearly left with the impression that Benfica would be a very strong possibility", he said on the Now channel.

It should be remembered that the reason why the footballer did not go to Sporting was revealed. The green-and-white club submitted an official offer of 8 million euros 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 still held 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. With the Alvalade club dropping out and Tottenham saying no, Benfica took advantage of the opportunity to enter the race strongly during the month of July. The Eagles sealed the deal with Bayern Munich for 14 million euros fixed and 5 million in add-ons. The player’s strong desire to return to Portugal made the entire agreement easier.

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