Bayern Munich sign João Palhinha from Fulham
Bayern Munich have bolstered their midfield with the signing of Portugal international João Palhinha from Fulham.
Palhinha, who turned 29 on Tuesday, joins the Bavarians on a four-year deal through to July 2028 and will provide new manager Vincent Kompany with another top-quality option in midfield.
"João Palhinha was highly sought after by FC Bayern even last summer – and rightly so," said Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl. "It was important that we never lost touch. João really wanted to come to Bayern, and we need players like that. He’s an important building block for our future. He’s once again demonstrated his strengths on the big stage at the Euros and brings a lot of experience, having previously played at a Euros and World Cup, and making around 300 appearances in the Portuguese and English leagues. He will give us greater stability in the centre of midfield."
Capped 31 times at senior level for Portugal, Palhinha arrives at the Allianz Arena following two impressive seasons with Fulham in the English Premier League after joining in the summer 2022 from Sporting Lisbon.
He made 79 competitive appearances for the Cottagers, scoring seven times but also picking up 27 yellow cards in a sign of his combative nature and the role he plays.
As well as featuring at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, plus the country's run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, Palhinha also boasts European experience at club level with UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League outings for Sporting and also Braga.
"We kept at it since last summer and now finally have João Palhinha with us," explained Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund. "He will be very valuable for FC Bayern. João is strong in tackles and very good in the air. He can give a team structure, plays consistent and very mature football. He also has great character, is a real leader. Bayern fans can look forward to João Palhinha."
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Palhinha joins Michael Olise, Hiroki Ito and Nestory Irankunda as new Bayern arrivals. The recently deposed champions will kick of their Bundesliga campaign on the weekeend of 24/25 August away at Wolfsburg.
"This is one of the happiest days of my life," Palhinha said. "I'm now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe. It's a dream come true for me, and I'm very proud of that. I'm looking forward to the atmosphere and the fans at the Allianz Arena. I want to enjoy success with FC Bayern and win titles - I'll give it my all."
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