Sporting target who slipped away expected at Aston Villa this weekend | OneFootball

Benfica continue trying to secure the signing of João Palhinha, but the Portuguese international’s return to domestic football is unlikely to happen. After also being linked with Sporting in this transfer window, the Bayern Munich midfielder now sees Aston Villa emerge as the main contender in the race for his signature.

The Lions even considered bringing Palhinha back to Alvalade, but ended up changing strategy and moved for the signing of Sergi Altimira from Betis. With the Spanish reinforcement already secured, the Alvalade club withdrew from the race, leaving their rival as the main Portuguese club interested in the player.

Aston Villa, managed by , have greater financial strength and are reportedly ready to submit an offer close to the 25 million euros demanded by Bayern Munich, who do not have the player in their plans.

The 31-year-old footballer is therefore expected in England this weekend to finalize the deal with Aston Villa. He is now close to finding out where he will play next season, after several weeks of uncertainty.

In 2025/26, João Palhinha made 45 appearances, scored seven goals and provided two assists, figures that further boosted his market value. Despite his good performances, Tottenham chose not to trigger the 30 million euro purchase clause agreed with Bayern.

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