Aston Villa on the Verge of Another Major Transfer Coup

Sporting Lisbon had dreamed of João Palhinha's return, and Benfica also aimed to sign the Bayern Munich midfielder. However, he is set to play in the Premier League once again for the 2026/27 season, following his loan spell at Tottenham from the Bavarian giants last campaign.

Palhinha's future appears all but decided, with Aston Villa expected to secure his services. The Birmingham club initiated negotiations with the German side just a few days ago.

The Portuguese midfielder is anticipated to travel to England as early as today, July 18th (Saturday), to finalize his agreement with Aston Villa.

The player, who is not part of Vincent Kompany's plans and is currently on vacation, is in Portugal. This Friday, he trained at the Estádio do Bonfim in Setúbal to maintain his fitness.

As part of the midfield restructuring undertaken by Rui Borges, João Palhinha was a coveted target for both the "Lions" (Sporting) and the "Eagles" (Benfica), who had also opened discussions with the German champions to ascertain the conditions for acquiring the defensive midfielder.

Nevertheless, Aston Villa intervened decisively. After losing Belgian international Amadou Onana for several months due to a severe injury sustained at the World Cup, the club will now add João Palhinha to their already announced midfield signing, Yoann Manzambi.

Consequently, the Portuguese international will feature in the Champions League during the 2026/27 season, as Unai Emery's side secured their spot in Europe's most prestigious club competition by winning the Europa League last campaign.