English Premier League (EPL) side Fulham are hoping to keep hold of star midfielder João Palinha next winter after he was targeted by Bayern Munich.
“Munich still want Palinha, but Fulham are confident he won’t leave in the winter transfer window,” English outlet TeamTalk reported on Jan. 18.
Palinha, whose main position is defensive midfielder, has good physical attributes, standing at 190 centimeters. Palinha has very good tackling ability. Last season, Palinha led the EPL with 147 successful tackles. This season, he’s already leading the way with 52 successful tackles.
Palinha was a favorite to join Munich last summer. In need of a defensive midfielder, the Bavarians offered £55 million ($888 million) for Palinha and reached an agreement with Fulham. Palinha boarded a plane to Munich, where he completed a medical and jersey photo shoot. 아톰카지노
Palinha’s move to Munich fell through at the last minute. Fulham pursued Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay as replacements, but the deals fell through. Unable to find a replacement, Fulham canceled the transfer. Palinha returned to London.
Despite the summer transfer falling through, Munich hasn’t given up on signing Palinha. However, the circumstances have changed. In September, Palinha signed a contract extension with Fulham until 2028. The Bavarians will now have to offer more than the £55 million they offered last summer if they want to keep him.
In a recent interview with Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Palinha addressed the Munich rumors. He said: “It obviously affected me and my family, but it’s all in the past. I don’t want to think about it much,” he said. It remains to be seen which club Palinha will play for next winter.