Bayern Munich planning final bid for Joao Palhinha

After announcing the appointment of Vincent Kompany as the head coach, Bayern Munich have been aggressively working on transfer deals. The Bavarian club wants to strengthen the midfield department by signing Joao Palhinha from Fulham.

The London-based Premier League club has rejected two bids from Bayern for Palhinha. According to SportBild’s Christian Falk, Bayern are going to make a final bid worth €46 million for the Portuguese midfielder. The Bavarian club doesn’t want to go beyond €46 million for Palhinha.

Bayern had agreed a fee worth €65 million for Palhinha last summer on the deadline day. However, the move fell through at the last moment. Fulham wants to get a similar fee but Die Roten have no plans to breach that mark as Palhinha turns 29 next month.

Palhinha has already agreed personal terms with Bayern. The Portuguese midfielder is ready to reject interest from other European heavyweights in favour of a move to Munich. He may have to force through a transfer if Fulham ends up rejecting Die Roten’s third bid.

Bayern are also working on alternative solutions in case they fail to complete the signing of Palhinha. They reportedly have Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu on their list to strengthen the midfield. The Turkish midfielder operated in a deeper role for Inter Milan last season after playing as a number ten for the majority of his career.

The record Bundesliga champions are looking to rejig their midfield options for next season. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka will be allowed to leave the club if adequate offers arrive.

Kimmich remains tight-lipped about his future amidst interest from Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona. Meanwhile, Goretzka is eager to stay in Munich. Vincent Kompany and Bayern will talk to Goretzka about his role in the squad when he reports for pre-season training in July. Juventus have shown interest in the German midfielder.

Bayern will look to shore up the midfield department before sanctioning departures. They want to conduct the majority of their transfer business before the start of the pre-season training. The next few days will be crucial in their pursuit of Palhinha. Bayern will switch their attention to other midfield targets if Fulham don’t budge on their asking price for the Portuguese midfielder.