Aston Villa face fresh competition for João Palhinha after Newcastle United joined the Premier League clubs interested in the Bayern Munich midfielder.
Villa’s pursuit moved forward this weekend when director of football operations Damian Vidagany publicly confirmed negotiations with Bayern.
ReadAstonVilla reported on Saturday that talks are underway over Palhinha, with Unai Emery looking to add further experience to his rebuilt midfield.
Villa are yet to reach an agreement. Now Newcastle could complicate matters.
talkSPORT reports that Newcastle are also interested in Palhinha, with the Magpies looking at midfield options following Bruno Guimarães’ move to Arsenal.
João Palhinha Aston Villa transfer faces Newcastle competition
Palhinha spent last season on loan at Tottenham, where he made 101 Premier League appearances across his spells with Spurs and Fulham.
Tottenham had the option to sign him permanently for £26million, but chose not to activate it.
That does not necessarily represent Bayern’s current asking price.
Villa have previously explored a more flexible deal.
Vidagany nevertheless made clear that Palhinha is a player Emery would welcome.
“João Palhinha is a very good player who would fit our plans,” the Villa chief said while confirming discussions with Bayern.
The attraction is straightforward.
Youri Tielemans has left Villa for Manchester United, while Amadou Onana is facing a lengthy spell out through injury. João Gomes has already arrived from Wolves, but another experienced defensive midfielder would give Emery greater depth ahead of a Champions League campaign.
Newcastle can offer many of the same attractions.
They have the financial strength to compete for Palhinha and, like Villa, can provide another route back into English football.
Benfica are also monitoring the situation, although Portuguese reports suggest they would struggle to match the financial packages available from Premier League clubs.
Villa therefore remain firmly in the race.
Their interest is now public and negotiations have started. Newcastle’s presence simply means Vidagany may have to move quickly if Emery decides Palhinha is the midfielder he wants.
