The drama on transfer deadline day continues as Joao Palhinha’s big-money move to Bayern Munich is currently collapsing despite seemingly being close to complete according to Fabrizio Romano.
Fulham Stand Firm Despite Bayern’s Search for Midfield Reinforcements
João Palhinha completed two round of medical tests, took pictures in Bayern shirt but deal is currently collapsing ⛔️ #DeadlineDay
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2023
Marco Silva Set to Keep Hold of Star Player
The Cottagers will be happy to keep hold of Palhinha, who has established himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League. The 28-year-old topped the league’s charts for most tackles in the 2022/23 season with 147, as much as 47 clear of Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, then of Brighton.
He joined the Craven Cottage outfit last summer from Sporting CP and is a regular in the Portugal setup, making 21 caps for his country, and scoring two goals since his debut in 2021.
The Portuguese midfielder has continued that form into this current campaign, putting in stand-out performances in both of his starts thus far. He scored an excellent leveler right at the end to secure his side a 2-2 draw at the Emirates against Arsenal and was a key player in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, where his side progressed after a penalty shoot-out.
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Agreement Reached but Joao Palhinha Deal Is Collapsing
It had seemed that Palhinha was keen on the move to the German giants after there were reports that a deal in the region of £55 million had been agreed between the clubs. However, Romano has tweeted an update stating that despite two rounds of medical being completed and the player taking pictures in a Bayern shirt, the deal is collapsing.
Read More: ‘Fighting to Go’: ‘Invaluable’ Tottenham Player Targeted by PL Club After Fulham Star Asked to Leave
The deal would have represented a club-record fee received by the Premier League side if the deal had gone through. Fulham would need to sign a replacement if they were to let another key player leave, after seeing Aleksandar Mitrovic depart to the Saudi Pro League.
It is unknown if the London side has managed to make enough progress on a new midfield player and this is likely to be the reason that the deal has not gone through. Sky Sports had reported that Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg were targets but little or no progress has been made on these deals.
Photo provided to Wikimedia Commons by Christian Wood. CC by 4.0.
