Newcastle United’s search for an experienced midfielder has already produced its share of frustration, with the Magpies pursuing several options as Matthias Jaissle attempts to add leadership to a squad barren of it.
Aston Villa appeared to have moved ahead of Newcastle in the race for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha heading into the weekend. The situation, however, took an unexpected turn after negotiations between the clubs collapsed.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl confirmed on Friday
that an agreement with Aston Villa is now off.
“You’ve read that Aston Villa contacted us regarding Joao. That is true, but we won’t reach an agreement with Aston Villa,” Eberl confirmed. “It simply won’t work. We aren’t in a position where we have to do everything others try to impose on us.”
Marca’s Diego Pico subsequently reported that, knowing about the development, Newcastle had returned with a stronger proposal to Bayern while offering Palhinha a three-year contract.
The disagreement with Villa seems to center on the structure of the transfer, as the Premier League side wanted to take Palhinha on loan, while Bayern is seeking approximately €30 million (£26 million) for a permanent sale after paying around €51 million (£44 million) to sign him from Fulham in 2024.
“There’s no chance of an agreement,” Eberl added, regarding that loan proposal.
Pico reported that Newcastle has “entered strongly” the situation and is offering both a permanent transfer and a multi-year contract to Palhinha.
“Changes in the future of Joao Palinha. @NUFC entered strongly and offers a transfer and a three-year contract to the player,” Pico reported. “@AVFCOfficial ran out of options.”
All that said, there is one rather significant obstacle for Palhinha to play for Newcastle: his own preference, as reported by CNN Portugal, is only to return to the Premier League by way of Aston Villa, and he has already rejected any potential move to the Magpies in advance.
That leaves two conflicting developments to resolve. For one, Bayern has publicly closed the door on Villa unless the terms of the change from a loan deal to a permanent transfer. And for two, while Newcastle is apparently prepared to offer the deal Bayern wants, the player doesn’t seem too happy about moving to Tyneside.
Would you still pursue Palhinha despite the report that he prefers Aston Villa, or should Newcastle immediately move to another midfield target? Share your thoughts below!
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