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Benfica remain interested in João Palhinha, but the competition is intensifying. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have reportedly already begun advanced negotiations for the Portugal international and, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, the Birmingham club are currently leading the race for the Bayern Munich midfielder.

The Eagles have already informed the Bavarians of their interest in signing the former Benfica player, as previously reported, but the high fee demanded by the German club remains the main obstacle for Benfica’s SAD.

Benfica’s strategy, therefore, is to wait for a possible drop in the German club’s financial demands. The possibility of the midfielder moving to Birmingham gained momentum after Aston Villa sporting director Damian Vidagany publicly confirmed the club’s interest in the player:

"We need a player for midfield because Amadou Onana is injured and will miss the entire season. João Palhinha is an excellent player and fits our plans," Vidagany told Bild. The Villa official also confirmed that talks are ongoing, although no agreement has been reached at this stage.

For Benfica, the situation represents a race against time. The Eagles want to strengthen their midfield with Palhinha, but they need Bayern to ease the deal’s terms if they are to complete the Portugal international’s return to the Luz. Besides Aston Villa, Newcastle are also monitoring the situation.

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