news-engine

Aston Villa sporting director Damian Vidagany confirms talks are ongoing with Bayern Munich over a move for João Palhinha. Last season, the Portugal international was on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, who haven’t made his stay permanent. The midfielder has returned to Germany and Bayern Munich have made it clear he has no future at the club. This has allowed Aston Villa to swoop in this summer. Last month, we relayed news of the Europa League winners preparing an offer to sign the 31-year-old. Aston Villa official not sharing more details On Friday, Aston Villa lost to Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong and the Portugal international came off the bench in the second half. Bild spoke to Damian Vidagany to discuss the Villans’ interest in João Palhinha, and the quotes are in the Saturday printed edition. However, the Villans official didn’t go into the details of the negotiations. “We need a midfielder because Amadou Onana is out for the entire season – and João Palhinha is a very good player who would fit our plans,” he said. “We are in talks, but there is currently no agreement. If something were to happen, it would always be based on the great respect we have for Bayern. We are friendly clubs, and our relationship with Max Eberl, Christoph Freund, and all the other officials is excellent. Therefore, I cannot and do not wish to comment on any further details.” The director believes Aston Villa’s project under Unai Emery would suit the former Fulham man. “I believe Aston Villa would be a great club for the player. In the league, six or seven clubs have a bigger budget than us,” Vidagany explained. “Nevertheless, we’ve qualified for international competitions every year for the past four years. That’s down to our project, our work as a team, and the tactical influence of Unai Emery, who in my eyes is one of the best coaches in the world.” What’s stopping Palhinha from joining Aston Villa The difference in valuations is ‘making a deal impossible’. The German champions are looking to get rid of him permanently and are demanding €25m, which is too high for Aston Villa. | League 2026 | | | | | |---|---|---|---|---| | Appearances | 15 | | | | | Started | 9 | | | | | Minutes per game | 46 | | | | | Total minutes played | 686 | | | | | Goals | 2 | | | | | Asssits | 2 | | | | The two clubs haven’t managed to agree even for a loan with a purchase option. The Villa Park club will also have to find an agreement with João Palhinha. To do this, he needs an ‘offer that convinces him in terms of sporting, financial, and personal aspects.’ In short, Unai Emery’s side have a lot of work pending to sign the Portugal international. Exklusive Ansage zu #FCBayern-Star: Boss von #AstonVilla spricht offen über #Palhinha-Transferhttps://t.co/t3KoH3t6yF — BILD Sport (@BILD_Sport) August 8, 2026