Leonino
·12 July 2026
Sporting look set to miss out: Bayern relent, Palhinha eyes Benfica

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Yahoo sportsLeonino
·12 July 2026

João Palhinha may be closer to joining Benfica. The Portuguese international midfielder, developed at Sporting, remains one of Marco Silva’s most sought-after players, and a new possibility has emerged that could help make the deal happen.
According to the newspaper A Bola, Bayern Munich are open to loaning out the player, provided Benfica pay a loan fee. This scenario reduces the immediate financial impact of the operation and opens a window of opportunity for the Eagles to secure the former Sporting captain.
The solution is also gaining momentum because of João Palhinha’s own wishes. The Portuguese international wants to keep competing at the highest level in Europe and, for that reason, is said to have turned down offers from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, keeping his focus on a competitive project.
Marco Silva knows the midfielder well, after the two worked together at Fulham, and still sees him as an important piece in Benfica’s midfield. Now, it will be up to the board led by Rui Costa to find a formula that meets Bayern’s demands.
João Palhinha was recently linked with a possible return to Sporting, but that scenario has lost momentum in recent weeks. At this point, everything indicates that the Portuguese international’s future could lie at the Luz, if Benfica can reach an agreement with the German champions.
Check out some highlights from Palhinha:
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.
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