Bayern Munich set to make late move for Fulham midfielder
Bayern Munich continue to work on multiple deals ahead of the deadline day on Friday. The Bavarian club is looking to add a midfielder to the squad in the next three days. Thomas Tuchel has been keen on signing a defensive midfielder throughout the summer. It does like Bayern is going to work on a deal for a Premier League midfielder.
According to Sport1 and Bild, Bayern have identified Fulham’s Joao Palhinha as the midfield reinforcement before the deadline day. The Bavarian club is expected to make a bid for the Portuguese midfielder soon. Fulham had previously rejected a bid from West Ham United worth £50 million, so Die Roten will have to come up with a sizeable offer to seal the deal.
Palhinha has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League since joining Fulham from Sporting Lisbon last summer. He is very efficient in winning duels and breaking up play at the base of the midfield. The Portuguese midfielder provides a lot of steel to the midfield, which is exactly what Tuchel wants at Die Roten.
The only concern regarding the signing of Palhinha is his age. The Portuguese midfielder will turn 29 next season. It is not a long-term signing for Bayern if a deal goes through before Friday. However, it will definitely make Die Roten a much better outfit for the next couple of seasons.
TRUE✅ Bayern is trying now to get João Palhinha (28, contract Til 2027) from FC Fulham. Thomas Tuchel still wants a new Number 6 @BILD_Sport @altobelli13 @FCBayern @FulhamFC
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) August 30, 2023
It will be intriguing to see what kind of offer Bayern presents for Palhinha. They may explore a loan with an obligation deal, but Fulham is likely to reject the offer. The Portuguese midfielder is a crucial player for Marco Silva at Fulham. After losing Alexander Mitrovic this summer to Al Hilal, Silva will be eager to keep Palhinha for next season.
Apart from Palhinha, Bayern have been linked with Manchester United’s Scott McTominay in the past few days. The Scotting midfielder is out of favour at Old Trafford, so a transfer is much more realistic. Manchester United holds an interest in Bayern’s Ryan Gravenberch, which may open the prospect of a loan swap deal between the two clubs.
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Bayern will certainly allow Gravenberch to leave before Friday if they manage to sign a midfielder. Along with Manchester United, the Dutch midfielder is also attracting interest from Liverpool. It remains to be seen if Bayern would sanction a permanent departure.
Thomas Tuchel will get all the profiles that he wanted this summer if Bayern gets the deal for Palhinha over the line. The German coach will be under pressure to deliver silverware after a disappointing end to their cup competitions last season.