Aston Villa will attempt to seal a deal for 37-cap Portuguese international Joao Palhinha imminently as he inches closer to his Bayern Munich exit.

According to a report by TEAMtalk, FC Porto, Sporting CP, and SL Benfica are also interested in Joao Palhinha. The three Primeira Liga giants are eager to bolster their first-team squads by signing a holding midfielder in the ongoing transfer window, and they have their sights set on the 31-year-old out-of-favour Bayern Munich midfielder.

However, a return to the Premier League appears to be on the cards, with the TEAMtalk report revealing that Aston Villa have “stepped up their efforts to sign the Bayern Munich midfielder” before the summer transfer window shuts down.

Joao Palhinha at a crossroads

Joao Palhinha is at a crossroads in his career despite enjoying a reasonably solid loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur last season. The 31-year-old hit the ground running at the North London club, becoming a mainstay in the middle of the park under Thomas Frank. However, he was in and out of the starting lineup after Frank’s departure from the club, though Roberto De Zerbi used him judiciously.

Nevertheless, Palhinha, who failed to make his mark after completing a €51 million move to Bayern Munich, amassed nearly 3,000 minutes of game time in 45 appearances across all competitions while chipping in with seven goals and three assists. The Portuguese midfielder is now eager to find a permanent solution for his future, with Tottenham choosing not to complete a permanent deal.

What next?

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. Amadou Onana is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury, while Youri Tielemans has joined Manchester United.

Additionally, Boubacar Kamara is returning from a long-term knee injury and cannot be pushed to play multiple times a week. So, Aston Villa must sign a holding midfielder, and Joao Palhinha’s Premier League experience makes him an attractive target for the West Midlands club, and he also showed during his stint with Tottenham that he can contribute in the final third (7 goals, 3 assists).

With the TEAMtalk report revealing that Palhinha has been told that “he has no future at Bayern and is available” for a move this summer, a move to the Premier League is increasingly likely. Despite the interest from Portugal, Aston Villa will aim to bank on their favourites tag to beat the competition to the Portuguese midfielder’s signature.