Palhinha and Bayern Munich at odds, Benfica look to pounce | OneFootball

João Palhinha’s future continues to make headlines in Germany and, this Saturday, saw another twist that reinforces the uncertainty surrounding the Portuguese international’s stay at Bayern Munich. While Benfica remain attentive to how the process unfolds, the statements from the player and the Bavarian sporting director revealed different positions regarding what could happen in the coming weeks.

Upon arriving at the bus that took the team to the friendly against Wiesbaden, a side that plays in Germany’s third division, Palhinha was approached by journalists about his future. His reply was brief, but it carried a clear message: "My plan is to stay and fight for my place here."

Despite the midfielder’s stated intention, Bayern’s position seems to be heading in a different direction. Shortly beforehand, sporting director Christopher Freund admitted that João Palhinha, Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza are not part of the club’s plans for the new season, opening the door to the departure of all three players.

"They are training, but they will not have an important role in our plans. They are good players, they work exemplary well and will continue to do so, but the plan is for them to take the next steps at another club," explained the official from the German champions.

With no room for him in Vincent Kompany’s plans, Bayern want to make the most of these assets through a permanent transfer. Even so, Freund stopped short of completely ruling out other scenarios, although he made it clear that a loan move is not, for now, the board’s preferred solution: "That is not our plan, but we are not ruling anything out at this point. They are very interesting players, with a market, and I believe they would fit in very well at several teams," he added.

It should be remembered that Benfica continue to closely monitor João Palhinha’s situation, having identified him as one of their targets to strengthen the midfield. However, the Eagles’ intention is a loan deal, a formula which, at this stage, does not align with the strategy defined by Bayern Munich.

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