Bayern Munich have finally completed the signing of João Palhinha, with the Portuguese international arriving from Fulham on a four year contract.
After 12 months of intense speculation and last summer’s last-minute failed move, João Palhinha has finally completed his transfer to Bayern Munich. The 29 year old is set to bolster the FC Bayern midfield, and joins from Fulham for a fee in the region of 50 million euros plus five million euros in bonuses.
João Palhinha: I want to win titles with Bayern Munich
Palhinha has long been hoping to make the switch to Bayern Munich, and is now raring to get going at his new club. "This is one of the happiest days of my life. I'm now playing for one of the absolute top clubs in Europe, it's a dream come true for me and I'm very proud of it. I'm looking forward to the atmosphere and the fans at the Allianz Arena. I want to celebrate success with FC Bayern and win titles - I'll give it my all," the midfielder said.
Regarded as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world, Palhinha has been one of the standout performers in the English Premier League over the last two seasons. He will hope to make a similar impact at Bayern Munich, who desperately needed a natural number six in their roster.
Palhinha is not only adept at breaking opposition attacks and resisting press, but also has the technical ability to shine on the other end of the pitch. His role at Bayern, though, will likely be to use his astute defensive awareness to provide stability and help control the tempo of matches.
It will be interesting to see what the arrival of João Palhinha means for the other midfielders in the Bayern roster, with both Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich reportedly free to leave the club this summer.