Joao Palhinha is now set to leave FC Bayern for good. The midfielder is on the verge of a move to Benfica and, after a long game of poker this summer, will finally make the switch.
Clubs from England were interested in him, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United in particular vying for the Portuguese player. However, a move did not materialize for various reasons.
A transfer of the midfielder to Benfica is now going through for a transfer fee of around 15 million euros. In addition, FC Bayern stands to receive several bonus payments. That’s still a solid return, but overall it’s a loss-making deal
Palhinha: Not a Good Deal for FC Bayern
At Säbener Straße, the club had been expecting a fixed transfer fee of between 20 and 25 million throughout the summer. However, that had recently become increasingly unrealistic. The 31-year-old, once signed as a top target for FC Bayern, was never able to establish himself at the record champions.
Palhinha was signed from Fulham for just over 50 million euros at the time. This came one year after his move to Munich fell through at the last minute, even though he had already arrived at Säbener Straße.
There were high hopes that the “holding six”—still sought after by Thomas Tuchel in 2023 and signed a year later—would make a big impact. In the Bundesliga, however, he made only 17 appearances for Bayern, was sent off once, and otherwise made very little of an impression.
At least the transfer loss is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Bayern also received a loan fee for him when they sent him to Tottenham last season. Overall, though, that’s only cold comfort, because Palhinha was also earning a high salary at FC Bayern.
Nevertheless, there is now a great sense of relief at Bayern that they were able to close this chapter and that the player won’t be back for the new season. Just how significant the financial loss will be in detail remains to be seen, depending on the bonus payments. The more bonus conditions that are met, the better.