Bayern to return for Fulham's Palhinha in January

Bayern Munich will return for Fulham midfielder Palhinha during the January transfer market. The Portugal international nearly joined the German giants on deadline day last week in a $59 million deal. However, the Cottagers failed to find a suitable replacement for the star, which nixed the agreement.

Although he did not join Bayern on the day, Palhinha underwent a medical and even took photos with the Bundesliga club’s jersey prior to the failed move. Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel later revealed that both parties were disappointed the deal fell through. “I was sad because I knew how much Joao Palhinha wanted to join us and what the player would have given us,” stated Tuchel. “I don’t know what exactly went wrong.”

Bayern currently thin in defensive midfield options

Despite not officially securing Palinha, Bayern still sold fellow midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The Netherlands international joined Liverpool just before the summer window closed for around $43 million. Gravenberch only managed to start three total league matches for Bayern during the 2022/23 campaign.

Nevertheless, Evening Standard is reporting that the reigning Bundesliga champions will pursue Palhinha again in the coming months. While they may be the top team in Germany, Bayern currently only has one true defensive midfielder on the roster: Joshua Kimmich. The lack of depth could come back to haunt the club’s brass for not making a move sooner.

Palhinha agent claims Bayern move has just been ‘postponed’

Palhinha has been one of the standout performers for Fulham since his arrival to the club last year. In fact, the Portuguese midfielder led all Premier League players in total tackles for the 2022/23 season. He even recorded 47 more tackles than second-placed Moises Caicedo.

After the failed move to Bayern, Palhinha was left out of Fulham’s squad the following day for a matchup with Manchester City. The Champions League winners ended up thumping Fulham 5-1 on the day.

While the midfielder will soon return to the manager Marco Silva’s squad, he hasn’t given up on the opportunity to sign with Bayern. Palhinha’s agent even suggested that the move would eventually happen. “They [Fulham] didn’t kill the dream, they just postponed it,” proclaimed the player’s agent.

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