According to a report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Fulham FC has already rejected Bayern Munich’s first offer for defensive midfielder João Palhinha.
That news might have Bayern Munich fans with a feeling like “not this (bleep) again” after a near miss at the end of the summer transfer window in 2023, but it is a long summer and the two clubs are expected to continue discussions per Romano:
Bayern’s initial offer to Fulham for João Palhinha was €35m plus add-ons, which Fulham rejected. But early in the week the two clubs will talk again and the expectation is to reach an agreement for a fee of around €40-45m. Palhinha was very professional last season — he didn’t complain, played a fantastic season, trained in a fantastic way, didn’t ask for a transfer in January, and so this is why the player now expects Fulham to give the green light and let him go to Bayern.
However, Sky journalist Kaveh Solhekol thinks the two clubs are far off in their valuations of Palhinha — especially with Manchester United and FC Barcelona also interested (via @iMiaSanMia):
Fulham value João Palhinha at ‘double the £30m bid’ they have rejected from Bayern. Barcelona and Manchester United are also interested, but Barcelona have financial issues and there’s uncertainty surrounding the managerial situation at United.
As expected, Fulham is going to want to maximize what it can make on Palhinha, so this could take a while…or Bayern Munich could just up its proposal soon in an effort to try and get an agreement in place.
Let the games begin!
Looking for some thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s pursuit of João Palhinha, how he might fit in the squad, and what the roster fallout might look like? Then check out our latest Bavarian Podcast Works Show, where we also hit on why Sky Sport’s report on six big player sales might not be so far offbase and why the German national team did not give fans a ton of confidence after the friendlies against Ukraine and Greece. You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: