Joao Palhinha is a step closer to joining Aston Villa, as the 31-year-old Portuguese international has struck an agreement on personal terms with the Bundesliga club.
According to an update by French journalist Sebastien Vidal, Joao Palhinha has “given his green light to Aston Villa” over a possible move in the ongoing transfer window. The Villans are keen on reinforcing their first-team squad by signing a holding midfielder, and they have their sights set on the 31-year-old Bayern Munich outcast.
However, per a report by Florian Plettenberg on Sky Deutschland, Aston Villa’s opening bid to sign Palhinha has not hit the mark, as Bayern Munich have rejected their loan offer. That is because the Bundesliga champions intend to sanction a permanent departure for the out-of-favour midfielder.
Joao Palhinha is pining for stability despite enjoying a decent loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur last season. The 31-year-old established himself as a mainstay in the middle of the park for the North London club but was in and out of the starting lineup after Thomas Frank’s departure, with Roberto De Zerbi managing his game time judiciously.
Nevertheless, Palhinha, who failed to make his mark after completing a €51 million move to Bayern Munich, accumulated nearly 3,000 minutes of game time in 45 appearances across all competitions for Tottenham while chipping in with seven goals and three assists. The Portuguese midfielder is now eager to find a permanent solution for his future, after Tottenham chose not to complete a permanent deal.
A return to the Premier League to the Premier League appears to be on the cards. Aston Villa will pursue another midfielder in the coming weeks, even though Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes have arrived from SC Freiburg and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively, this summer. Amadou Onana is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury, while Youri Tielemans has joined Manchester United.
Additionally, Boubacar Kamara has recently returned from a long-term knee injury and cannot play multiple times a week. So, Aston Villa must sign another defender midfielder alongside Joao Gomes, and Palhinha’s Premier League experience makes him an attractive target for the West Midlands club, and he demonstrated his final-third threat during his Tottenham loan spell.
Recent reports have claimed that Palhinha is keen on joining Aston Villa this summer, which Florian Plettenberg has corroborated. However, a summer move to Villa Park will not materialise for Palhinha unless Villa and Bayern Munich find common ground on whether the deal should be structured as a loan with a purchase option or a permanent transfer. Both clubs’ positions are now clear, and the negotiations will turn on resolving this fundamental disagreement.
