Following initial interest from Aston Villa, Newcastle United has reportedly entered the race for the 31-year-old Portuguese international. It is understood that Palhinha is a prime alternative for the Magpies should their pursuit of Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg from Olympique de Marseille ultimately prove unsuccessful.

This development suggests Newcastle could soon strengthen their defensive midfield with either Höjbjerg, a former Bayern player, or Palhinha. Palhinha’s move to Munich in 2025 came after a previous attempt to sign him from Fulham FC fell through at the last minute the year prior, largely due to Fulham’s refusal to release him. He was a key target for then-Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.

Bayern had previously assured the Portuguese midfielder they would persist in their efforts to sign him. However, by the time he eventually arrived in Munich for a fee estimated at 50 million euros, Tuchel had already departed. His successor, Vincent Kompany, reportedly found little use for a purely defensive-minded tackler like Palhinha in his tactical setup.

Last season saw Palhinha enjoy a relatively successful loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur. Yet, a permanent transfer ultimately collapsed due to Bayern’s financial demands. Neither Tottenham, Palhinha’s former club Sporting, nor their fierce rivals Benfica were reportedly willing to meet the asking price of 35 million euros.

Who is interested in joao palhinha?

Aston Villa’s sporting director, Damian Vidagany, publicly acknowledged the club’s interest in Palhinha last Friday, following Villa’s 2-1 friendly loss to Bayern in Hong Kong. This public declaration has now been followed by reports of Newcastle also joining the pursuit for the midfielder.

Newcastle United, despite a significant influx of funds from the sales of central midfielders Sandro Tonali (to Tottenham) and Bruno Guimaraes (to champions Arsenal), totaling 204.5 million euros in transfer fees, urgently requires a new defensive midfielder for their squad under incoming German coach Matthias Jaissle.

Who else could strengthen newcastle united’s midfield?

Höjbjerg remains the primary target. He spent his youth career with Bayern Munich from 2012 to 2016 before moving on to Southampton, Tottenham, and eventually Marseille, playing across the Premier League and in France. However, should the Danish international’s transfer not materialize, Palhinha could quickly emerge as a strong contender.

Financially, Newcastle is unlikely to face obstacles in funding such a transfer. While widely considered the wealthiest club globally, they have adopted a more measured approach to spending in recent times, yet possess ample resources for strategic acquisitions.