Bayern Munich agree fee with Fulham for Joao Palhinha

After weeks of negotiations, Bayern Munich have finally found a breakthrough in talks with Fulham for Joao Palhinha. The Bavarian club has a broad agreement over a transfer fee, but the minute details of the deal need to be ironed out.

According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern will pay €46 million plus bonuses for Palhinha. The 28-year-old midfielder will undergo medical once Portugal finishes their Euros campaign.  Die Roten and Fulham are working to complete the final details of the deal before Palhinha completes the medical.

Meanwhile, Sky in the UK, The Athletic, and BBC report that Fulham will receive a fee of €51 million plus €5 million in add-ons from Bayern for Palhinha. It will be a record sale for Fulham. They had previously rejected two bids from Die Roten this summer.

Palhinha was Bayern’s top target to strengthen the midfield last summer. They had agreed a deal worth €65 million with Fulham for the Portuguese midfielder on the deadline day. However, the transfer fell through after Fulham failed to sign a replacement for him.

Bayern didn’t revive interest in Palhinha during the winter transfer window, as they had other positions to strengthen in January. The Bavarian club was linked with younger midfielders throughout the season, which suggested that Palhinha may not move to Munich this summer.

However, things changed after the appointment of Vincent Kompany as the new head coach at Bayern. Kompany and director of sport Max Eberl identified Palhinha as the ideal player to strengthen the defensive midfield position. They agreed personal terms with the Portuguese midfielder before starting negotiations with Fulham.

The arrival of Palhinha will bring more defensive stability to the midfield at Bayern. The Portuguese midfielder is defensively strong and good at recycling possession. His presence will help Die Roten to become a better team defensively.

Palhinha’s addition will have an impact on the future of senior midfielders at Bayern. Joshua Kimmich is expected to leave Die Roten this summer, while there are big question marks over Leon Goretzka’s role in the squad. Bayern are open to listening to offers for the German midfielders.