Joao Palhinha apparently wants to leave FC Bayern this summer. New details have now emerged regarding a possible move to Benfica Lisbon—including a concrete offer to the Munich club.
At FC Bayern, Joao Palhinha continues to be considered one of the top candidates for a transfer. After several potential moves recently fell through, Benfica Lisbon now appears to have the best chance of signing the Portuguese international.
As reported by the Portuguese broadcaster SIC Notícias, Palhinha himself is pushing for a move to the Portuguese record champions. According to the report, the 31-year-old has already spoken with Benfica coach Marco Silva, with whom he previously worked successfully at Fulham FC.
Benfica is offering a loan with an obligation to buy
According to the report, Bayern Munich has now been presented with a concrete proposal. Benfica is said to be offering a loan fee of 10 million euros. At the end of the season, an additional payment of 15 million euros would follow, bringing the total value of the deal to 25 million euros.
However, Munich’s financial demands are reportedly continuing to complicate the negotiations. According to the latest reports, Bayern Munich actually prefers an immediate sale in order to generate additional revenue following the signings of Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown and to remove Palhinha’s salary from the payroll. Aston Villa of the Premier League is also said to be in the running for Palhinha.
It had previously been reported that Benfica would find it difficult to afford a permanent transfer due to the total cost. Therefore, the loan model now being proposed—with a subsequent purchase option—is apparently considered the most realistic solution for all parties involved.
It remains to be seen whether FC Bayern will agree to this model. One thing is clear, however: Palhinha wants to return to Portugal, and Benfica is working intensively on a solution.
