Will everything happen very quickly now? Bayern Munich sale candidate opens a new door after transfer rejection
After turning down Aston Villa, a different transfer option in the Premier League now appears to be opening up for Joao Palhinha of Bayern Munich.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper Marca, Newcastle United have entered the race for the German record champions' transfer-listed player. The report adds that the Magpies have already offered the Portuguese midfielder a concrete three-year contract.
They are looking for a successor to Bruno Guimaraes, who has moved to Arsenal. Palhinha would be a cheaper alternative to Felix Nmecha, for whom Borussia Dortmund are allegedly demanding more than €100 million. That matters even more because the club of Germany international Nick Woltemade did not let several key players leave by chance. The departures, including Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, were driven by the Premier League's and UEFA's financial rules. Otherwise, they face heavy fines or even a transfer ban.
Palhinha would likely cost between €20 million and €25 million. Bayern will not accept a loan with an option to buy, however. That is why the decision-makers around Max Eberl recently also turned down Aston Villa. "People have read that Aston Villa contacted us about Joao. That's correct. But we won't be able to reach an agreement with Aston Villa, it simply won't work. Because we are not in a situation where we have to do what others try to impose on us," the Bayern board member for sport stressed at a press conference on Friday, thereby also laying down a marker.
Bayern Munich: who else is supposed to leave alongside Joao Palhinha?
Newcastle's interest in Palhinha does not come as a surprise, however. The 31-year-old still has an excellent reputation in the Premier League. Before his move to Munich, he impressed at Fulham. He also convinced during his loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur last season. Despite a poor campaign from Spurs, which almost ended in relegation, the holding midfielder still registered 10 goal involvements in 45 appearances.
Alongside Palhinha, Bayern also want to offload Sacha Boey and Bryan Zaragoza. At present, however, no quick solution appears to be on the horizon for the duo. Under head coach Vincent Kompany, neither they nor Palhinha are likely to play any role if they remain in Munich.
At the end of July, honorary president Uli Hoeness struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone, however. "If we now manage to let one or two players go - and that would be exactly what we want - then that would of course be good. But there is one thing I want to say very clearly: a contract at Bayern is inviolable. That means we will keep the players if no suitable solution is found in the end," he explained.
