A player Manchester United failed to sign last summer is reportedly up for sale again and could make a transfer back to the Premier League.
A year ago, United were desperately searching for a new defensive midfielder, eventually signing Manuel Ugarte who endured a mixed debut season at Old Trafford.
One other name they looked at was Joao Palhinha who had established himself as one of the best in his position in the Premier League.
But the then-Fulham star rejected the Red Devils’ advances as he only had eyes for Bayern Munich, whom he would eventually sign for in a transfer worth £48million.
However, Palhinha’s dream move turned into a nightmare as he never seemed gain Vincent Kompany’s trust, making just 24 appearances across all competitions, only nine of which were starts.
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A lengthy muscle injury over the winter didn’t help his cause but less than a year on from his transfer, the Portugal international’s time in Munich appears to be over.
The Daily Mail report that Bayern are open to offers for the 29-year-old who could be allowed to leave on loan, though his hefty salary may prove problematic.
A number of Premier League sides are interested in his services, including former club Fulham, though it is said Palhinha would prefer to stay and fight for his place.
It is not known whether United have revived their interest in the player but they do want to sign a physical midfielder and Ruben Amorim knows Palhinha well from their time together at Sporting Lisbon.
He made 87 appearances under the now-United head coach, winning the Primeira Liga and two Taca da Ligas, before moving to Craven Cottage in 2022.
Fresh off winning the Nations League, Palhinha is currently at the Club World Cup but was left on the bench for Bayern’s remarkable 10-0 win over Auckland City in their opening match.
United’s focus this transfer window has mainly been on attacking players, with Matheus Cunha joining from Wolves, but Amorim wants to improve all areas of his squad.
Significant outgoings are expected as well, with Jadon Sancho the subject of a transfer war between two Italian giants, while under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana has also been linked with a shock exit.
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