Aston Villa’s wealth could stop Benfica signing Marco Silva’s top target | OneFootball

Benfica remain determined to secure the signing of João Palhinha and intend to do so through a loan deal. However, Aston Villa have entered the picture and the financial muscle of the current Europa League champions could make the difference.

According to the newspaper 'A Bola', following Youri Tielemans’ transfer to Man United and with Amadou Onana’s serious right knee injury confirmed, Aston Villa are set to submit an offer to Bayern Munich for the holding midfielder. The proposal will not be for a permanent transfer, but rather a loan with an option to buy.

The Villans can offer the 31-year-old midfielder more attractive financial terms than Benfica. Playing in the Champions League and the chance to remain in the Premier League are factors the Portuguese midfielder may weigh heavily.

However, there are two important factors that are making Palhinha consider the possibility of moving to the Luz. The main one is his desire to return to Portugal to be closer to his family. The second is the excellent relationship he has with Marco Silva, with whom he worked at Fulham for two seasons (2022/23 and 2023/24).

João Palhinha is Marco Silva's preferred defensive midfielder to strengthen the team’s midfield, which is also looking to add another centre-back, a winger and a striker.

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