Beyond the interest shown by Aston Villa, Newcastle United has reportedly also identified the 31-year-old Portuguese international as a target. Within the Magpies’ hierarchy, Palhinha is viewed as the primary alternative should the transfer of Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg from Olympique de Marseille ultimately fall through.

Newcastle could soon entrust its defensive midfield responsibilities to either Höjbjerg, a former Bayern player, or Palhinha. The latter, a player specifically desired by former Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, initially arrived in Munich in 2025. This move came a year after his initial transfer from Fulham FC collapsed at the last moment due to Fulham’s veto.

The Bavarian club had previously assured the Portuguese midfielder of their continued pursuit. However, by the time he eventually joined Munich for a fee of approximately 50 million euros, Tuchel’s tenure had long ended. His successor, Vincent Kompany, found little use for the purely defensive-minded tackler.

Palhinha spent the last season on a somewhat successful loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur. A permanent transfer, however, failed to materialize due to Bayern’s financial demands. Neither Tottenham, Palhinha’s formative club Sporting, nor their fierce rivals Benfica were reportedly prepared to meet the asking price of 35 million euros.

Who is interested in Joao Palhinha?

Following Aston Villa’s sporting director, Damian Vidagany, publicly confirming interest in Palhinha on Friday during Villa’s 2-1 friendly defeat against Munich in Hong Kong, Newcastle has now reportedly joined the chase.

At Newcastle United, despite having significant funds from the departures of central midfielders Sandro Tonali (to Tottenham) and Bruno Guimaraes (to champions Arsenal), which collectively brought in 204.5 million euros in transfer fees, there is an urgent need for a defensive midfielder in new German coach Matthias Jaissle’s squad.

Getty Images

Who could still strengthen Newcastle United’s midfield?

The top candidate remains Höjbjerg, who was part of Bayern Munich’s youth setup from 2012 to 2016 before forging his career at Southampton, Tottenham, and then Marseille, across the Premier League and France. However, should the Danish international’s transfer encounter difficulties, Palhinha could swiftly emerge as a leading contender.

At the very least, financial constraints are unlikely to hinder a potential transfer for Newcastle, even if the club, often considered the wealthiest globally, has adopted a more prudent spending approach in recent times.