Villa in talks to sign Bayern's Palhinha

Aston Villa are engaged in negotiations for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha. The 31-year-old Portugal international has emerged as a target for Villa following Amadou Onana's injury during the World Cup. Palhinha's agent confirms he is willing to consider a move to Villa Park, which is considered one of his top options. Bayern Munich, however, are prepared to let the player go two years after their original £47.4m signing from Fulham.

Palhinha briefly returned to Tottenham on loan last season, but the club decided against activating their £26m buy option. Aston Villa manager Roberto de Zerbi expressed interest in Palhinha due to his contribution in helping Tottenham avoid relegation, but the transfer did not materialize. Villa director of football Damian Vidagany stated that Palhinha would be a good fit for the club's plans and that negotiations are ongoing, though no agreement has been reached yet.

The comments come after Villa's 2-1 pre-season friendly loss to Bayern in Hong Kong, where Palhinha played as a substitute. The summer transfer window has been lively for Aston Villa, who have parted ways with Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Lucas Digne, while signing players like Alejandro Garnacho, Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi, and Moudou Keba Cisse.