Manchester United ‘plan to hijack’ Bayern Munich move for £60m midfielder

Manchester United plan to hijack Bayern Munichhis attempt to sign Fulham halfback João Palhinhaaccording to a report.

Palhinha has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League since arriving from Sporting Lisbon at Craven Cottage for £20m two summers ago.

The Portugal international led all Premier League players in tackles in the 2022-23 season and has also developed a knack for scoring goals from deep positions.

The midfielder was expected to complete a move to Bayern Munich this summer after narrowly missing out on a move to the Allianz Arena last season when his deal fell through on deadline day.

In January, the 28-year-old reiterated his desire to move to Munich from Fulham, but the German giants were reluctant to approve the transfer due to the uncertainty surrounding Thomas Tuchelhis position.

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Fulham have set a firm price for Joao Palhinha

Bayern have maintained their interest in bringing Palhinha to the Bundesliga, but their pursuit of the highly-rated midfielder hit a snag this week after Fulham rejected their £30m opening bid.

While Fulham appear to have resigned themselves to the reality that they will lose their star midfielder this summer, Sky Sports report that the Cottagers are holding firm to their £60m asking price.

The report adds that after Fulham rejected the Bavarians’ offer, Man United are now considering a move for the 28-year-old ahead of the 2024-25 season.

United are expected to prepare for a major overhaul this summer, with several players linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the next transfer window.

As for central midfielders, Casemiro is believed to be attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, while Christian Eriksen and Donny van de BeekHis future at the club is still up in the air.

However, the main problem for Manchester United in paying £60m for the Fulham man this summer is that he turns 29 in July, which may not make him a viable investment long-term.

In addition, signing a 28-year-old goes against the rules that mr Jim Ratcliffe set for the club for future transfer windows.

The British billionaire has admitted that the club have previously been guilty of overpaying for big-name, aging players, which means they will avoid repeating that approach.

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Palhinha on the radar of the La Liga giants

Apart from United, it is also understood that Barcelona keep an eye on Palhinha as they look to strengthen their squad this summer after finishing 10 points behind Real Madrid last year.

However, it is difficult to see the Spanish giants being able to complete a deal given their current financial situation.

Bayern are one of the few clubs who could afford his £60m asking price, but it remains to be seen whether they would be willing to spend that much on a single signing in this transfer window.

The Bavarians are also expected to be busy this summer as they look to strengthen their squad after ending the 2023-24 campaign without a trophy.

Among the players who could leave the Allianz Arena this summer are Matthijs de Ligtwho was previously on Man United’s radar.

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