Cottage POV

Does that work? Definitely not, but it settles the point. Reports have picked up in recent days that Bayern are most definitely back in the market for Joao Palhinha after the midfielders’ failed deadline day move in summer 2023.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has been a key reporter of the proposed move since last year, and on September 1st 2023 tweeted a fee of around €65m was agreed. Somehow after another year of being the Premier League’s premier ball-winner, the rumoured fee has dropped to €40m-€45m per the same reporter.

Given Fulham and Tony Khan’s love for late window shopping, supposedly as the price gets cheaper, it’s bizarre that a year goes by, a new contract signed and the price starts cheaper than one previously agreed. There is an argument that perhaps the club privately agreed with Palhinha that they’d be more willing in negotiations with Bayern, especially if given the time to source replacements but it’s beyond me that Fulham would accept the difference in about £18m.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought last summer was the door closing on Joao’s elite move, but here we are at the dawn of the summer window and Bayern recircle. Thankfully I guess, it’s not a last minute push again giving Fulham the proper time to source a replacement.

As I write this, the aforementioned Florian Plettenberg says negotiations are advanced and the fee is expected to be that €40m-€45m range and that the player wants it done pre-Euros. Welp.

With an injection of hope, Marco Silva’s side showed they can win without Joao Palhinha last season, winning 4 of the 5 they played without the Portuguese defensive midfielder, the one loss being at Manchester City as he returned from his day trip to Munich. A world where Fulham win Premier League games without both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Joao Palhinha felt crazy, but all credit to Marco Silva and team.

What motivated me to write this, hence “Joao Me The Money” was that the fee rumoured was not enough. Especially in a world where we’re less than 12 months removed from an agreed €20m more. We also live in a world where Manchester United paid £70m (pounds) for a 30 year old Casemiro – are we really to say that Joao Palhinha is near half the player of Casemiro? But then Manchester City paid Chelsea £30m for Mateo Kovacic and Liverpool signed Wataru Endo for £16m so what on earth do I know?

I just feel like Fulham are selling themselves short given the previous agreement fee and the spiritual warrior that Joao Palhinha has become for the club. A player that celebrates most tackles and has an unbelievable bond with the fanbase, you wonder who takes up the mantle next with talk Tim Ream may be leaving for a return to America, Mitrovic gone and Tom Cairney’s career countdown coming.

The next job for Marco Silva and Tony Khan is replacing him. There was a lot of work to do in the window anyway, never mind now having to replace a vital cog of the Premier League return.

Good luck gentlemen. In Silva we trust.