FC Bayern have reached their goal for European Championship starter João Palhinha. The defensive midfielder from Portugal is coming to Munich. He is an “important building block”. It is a transfer at the second attempt.
The transfer of Portuguese international João Palhinha (29) from Fulham FC to Bayern Munich FC is complete. As the German record champions announced, the defensive midfielder signed a contract until the summer of 2028. The Munich team is reportedly paying the English Premier League club a fixed transfer fee of 46 million euros, which may increase due to bonus expenses. There were no official details on this.
“João Palhinha was already highly regarded at FC Bayern last summer – and rightly so! It was important that we never lost contact. João really wanted to join FC Bayern and we need players like him. He is an important building block for our future,” said sporting director Max Eberl. “At the European Championships in particular, he once again demonstrated his strengths on a big stage and brings a lot of experience with him, having previously played in a European Championship and a World Cup and around 300 competitive matches in the Portuguese and English leagues. He will give us even more stability in the center.”
Palhinha was already a target of FC Bayern last summer. The then Munich coach Thomas Tuchel had primarily wanted a defensive-oriented number six for the midfield. A signing of the 30-time national player, who moved to England in 2022, fell through on the last day of the transfer window because the London club did not release him without a replacement.
A “Holding Six” for Kompany
“We regretted that,” admitted Bayern club president Herbert Hainer in retrospect. Palhinha then extended his contract with the English Premier League club until the summer of 2028. The new Bayern coach Vincent Kompany will now get the “Holding Six” once longed for by his predecessor Tuchel.
“This is one of the happiest days of my life. I am now playing for one of the absolute top clubs in Europe, it is a dream come true for me and I am very proud of that,” explained Palhinha. “I am looking forward to the atmosphere and the fans in the Allianz Arena. I want to celebrate success with FC Bayern, win titles – I will give everything to achieve that.”
Source: Stern
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