The Palhinha Saga: Will a Former Bayern Employee Become a Key Player? | OneFootball

FC Bayern is hoping that a sale of Joao Palhinha will take place soon. There are interested parties, and the Portuguese player himself is said to have settled on his preferred destination. 

Although Aston Villa isn’t giving up and, according to various media reports, is continuing to try to convince FC Bayern to approve a loan deal, the record champions prefer a permanent transfer.

Newcastle United had recently shown interest but is not actively pursuing the deal at this time. That’s why Benfica is currently the hottest option. And the historic Portuguese club is turning up the heat.

Benfica wants Palhinha and is counting on a former Bayern employee

According to a report in BILD, Benfica had offered a loan deal for the defensive midfielder at the start of the summer transfer window. That has now changed. Most recently, Portugal’s A Bola reported that the historic club is said to be offering a transfer fee of around 15 million euros, with an additional five million euros in bonus payments on top of that.

Photo: IMAGO

Benfica has also reached an agreement with the player. And Palhinha himself is now said to have clearly stated that he prefers a move to Portugal. While Bayern will have to back down from its original demand of a 25–30 million euro transfer fee, given the current situation, there are legitimate doubts that an offer of that magnitude could materialize this summer.

Interestingly, a former Bayern employee could also play a major role if Benfica makes a move for Palhinha. Patrick Dippel (45), who served as an analyst for the record-holding champions from 2015 to 2017, has been under contract with the Portuguese club as chief scout since January 2026 and has since been regarded as a key figure behind many of Benfica’s transfers; is also said to be playing a role in the midfielder’s situation and helping to pull the strings behind the scenes.

Palhinha was not on FC Bayern’s roster for the last two friendly matches. The club is currently doing everything possible to prevent an injury.