Joao Palhinha to leave Bayern Munich this summer?

Joao Palhinha could be heading towards a surprise exit from Bayern Munich this summer. (Image credits - Heute, License Details)

Bayern Munich and Portugal's star midfielder Joao Palhinha is on the verge of a shocking exit from Bayern Munich in the summer, just almost a year later since joining the Bundesliga champions.

Previously, Palhinha played for Premier League side Fulham FC, where his consistent performances for the Cottagers put him on the radar of many top clubs.

As a consequence, several clubs were chasing a move for the 29-year-old defensive midfielder last summer, but the Bundesliga champions managed to convince the midfield maestro eventually, signing him for a deal worth a whopping £42.3m, plus £4.2m in add-ons.

This season, Bayern Munich lifted the Bundesliga title, where Palhinha couldn't contribute much due to his limited gametime, which appears to be one of the major reasons for his potential departure from Munich.

Why could Palhinha leave Bayern Munich just a season later?

From our observations from the last season, Vincent Kompany still appears to prioritise players ageing like Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka over Palhinha, who as a result, is struggling to get enough game time under his belt, which could be pushing the Portuguese midfielder to a premature exit from Bayern.

Apart from the limited minutes, it is even reported that the Portuguese DM desires a different role under Kompany, which has not been guaranteed to him by the Belgian tactician.

As a result, Palhinha's exit seems like a big possibility, with reports from The Guardian indicating that a Premier League return could be on the cards for Palhinha, where Fulham could ignite their hopes of bringing the 29-year-old back to Craven Cottage.

However, other Premier League clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are also rumoured to be considering entering the race for Palhinha if he decides to leave the German giants in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Palhinha's ability to regain possession, along with his tremendous tackle and interception awareness to break apart any sort of offensive transition, is the reason why he is still expected to be a highly sought-after player this summer despite him pushing towards his thirties.