Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha is still on Bayern Munich’s radar ahead of the January transfer window.
Journalist Christian Falk has taken to social media to deliver the latest update he’s heard on the Portuguese’s future.
It’s no surprise that as the winter transfer window approaches, clubs are starting to circle around Joao Palhinha once again.
The £20m midfielder is one of the best players in the world in his position right now.
Fulham are going through a difficult patch at the moment and it’s no surprise that Palhinha’s slight dip in form has coincided with three defeats in four league matches.
He struggled to deal with John McGinn against Aston Villa and was sold a dummy by the Scot and Bruno Fernandes the week before when they both scored from outside the box.
That hasn’t dissuaded Bayern Munich from considering making another move for Palhinha in January.
Even the new contract he signed in September is unlikely to stop the biggest teams in Europe considering a move for the 28-year-old.
After losing Aleksandar Mitrovic and the effect that’s had on the team, Fulham simply can’t afford to lose Palhinha this winter, even if they’ve been linked with a Premier League-level replacement.
Bayern still keen on Palhinha in January
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Falk said: “Our Story: Christoph Freund, Head of Sports @FCBayern, confirmed Transfer Target Joa [Joao] Palhinha (FC Fulham): “Of course he’s still on our radar!”
It would be a huge blow for Fulham to lose Palhinha, but it’s no surprise Bayern are still interested given how close they came to signing him in the summer.
The midfielder was in Germany on deadline day getting ready to confirm the move but Fulham blocked his exit when they failed to sign a replacement.
It sums up the way the club is run in the transfer market currently that they didn’t foresee any late interest in the Portuguese considering how amazing he was during his debut Premier League campaign.
The fact he’s signed a new deal shows they’re being proactive, but Fulham must be prepared to receive an offer they can’t refuse in the upcoming transfer window.
Bayern are by no means running away with the Bundesliga right now and will see Palhinha as the sort of signing they can make in January that could have an immediate impact.
Whether or not Fulham are even willing to negotiate midway through the season is another matter.
The club are in a precarious position in the Premier League and his exit would all but confirm the club would be entering a relegation battle for the rest of the campaign.