Aston Villa are actively negotiating a transfer for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha, according to reports from BBC Sport. The 31-up Portugal international emerged as a primary transfer target for Unai Emery’s side following a long-term injury to Amadou Onana, who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee while representing Belgium.
Transfer Talks and Bayern Munich Stance
According to sources close to the player cited by BBC Sport, Palhinha hasn’t finalized a decision yet but views a switch to Villa Park as one of his strongest career options. Bayern Munich are open to letting the defensive midfielder depart, roughly two years after securing his signature from Fulham for a reported £47.4m fee. Villa director of football Damian Vidagany confirmed the ongoing discussions to German outlet Bild on Friday, stating that while talks are underway, no formal agreement is in place.
“Joao Palhinha is a very good player who would fit our plans,” Vidagany told Bild. “We are in talks, but there is currently no agreement. If something were to happen, it would always be based on the great respect we have for Bayern.”
Those remarks followed a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong where Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich, a match in which Palhinha appeared as a second-half substitute.
Previous Loan Spell and Squad Rebuilding
Palhinha spent the previous campaign on loan at Tottenham Hotspur. Although manager Roberto de Zerbi wanted to retain the midfielder permanently after his performances helped Spurs avoid relegation, the north London club ultimately declined to activate their £26m purchase option, leaving Bayern to evaluate other destinations.
The potential acquisition comes during a busy summer transfer window for Aston Villa. Following high-profile departures—including Morgan Rogers moving to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans joining Manchester United, and Lucas Digne transferring to Paris St-Germain—the club has needed to inject fresh depth into the squad. Villa’s incoming business features permanent deals for Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea, Joao Gomes from Wolves, Johan Manzambi from Freiburg, and Moudou Keba Cisse from LASK Linz.
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