Benfica: Palhinha signing demands patience and pressure

João Palhinha reacted positively to a joint Instagram post by accounts guiiilhermecabral and gonçalosphoto, which celebrated Benfica's dominant 7-0 victory over Casa Pia in Rio Maior on the second matchday of the championship. While the intention of the Bayern defensive midfielder, whom Benfica is actively pursuing, remains unclear, it's evident he's keeping a close eye on the Eagles.

After finalizing negotiations for central defender Alessandro Circati, Benfica has refocused its efforts on João Palhinha. As reported by A BOLA, the club has offered Bayern €15 million, plus an additional €5 million in performance-based bonuses, having already reached an agreement with the 31-year-old Portuguese international for a four-year contract worth €3 million net per season.

However, Palhinha's move to Benfica hinges on Bayern, who initially demanded €25 million but are now open to a lower fee. For Benfica and Palhinha's wishes to prevail, patience and pressure will be key. The defensive midfielder has already turned down more lucrative financial offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, for instance.

According to The Athletic, Aston Villa remains in the running and has re-entered negotiations with Bayern, despite the German club's sporting director, Max Eberl, previously stating that a deal was off. Meanwhile, Spanish newspaper Sport suggests that Marc Casadó is one of the alternatives to Palhinha.