Benfica have reached an agreement with Bayern Munich to sign Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha on a permanent transfer during the current summer window, according to reports in Germany.
Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg says the two clubs have completed negotiations over a deal that could be worth up to 20m euros. If the most realistic performance-related bonuses are achieved, the overall package is expected to reach between 18m and 19m euros.
Benfica have been given permission to arrange Palhinha’s medical, while the 31-year-old has also approved the move. The Portuguese club have been working on the transfer for several weeks and are understood to have beaten competition from a number of Premier League sides.
The agreement marks a return to Portuguese football for Palhinha, who began his senior career with Sporting CP before moving to Fulham in 2022. He later earned international recognition with Portugal and established himself as a prominent defensive midfielder.
Bayern signed Palhinha from Fulham in the summer of 2024 in a transfer worth more than 50m euros. However, he struggled to secure a regular starting place in the German side’s team and spent last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl said earlier in the current transfer window that the club wanted to sell Palhinha. The agreement with Benfica now appears to have created a route for the midfielder to leave after only one season in Munich.
Palhinha’s move to Benfica would see him return to the country where he first made his name, although this time he would join one of Sporting CP’s main domestic rivals. Benfica are pursuing the transfer as part of their summer recruitment plans, with the medical examination the next stage before the deal can be formally completed.
Plettenberg described the transfer on social media as “Joao Palhinha to SL Benfica – DONE DEAL”, adding that there was “Full agreement reached with FC Bayern” and confirming that the transfer would be permanent.
The reported fee is lower than the sum Bayern paid to sign Palhinha from Fulham, although the final value could rise if the agreed bonuses are triggered. The German club’s decision to make him available followed a campaign in which he was unable to establish himself as a first-choice player before his loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur.
Palhinha’s return to Portugal would therefore bring his Bundesliga spell to an end and give him the opportunity to continue his career at Benfica, subject to successfully completing his medical.
