Manchester United are reportedly unlikely to seek a January transfer for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.
Palhinha was on the verge of joining Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day this summer, but the big-money deal fell through at the last minute despite going to Germany to complete a medical.
After missing out on a move to Bayern, Fulham manager Marco Silva described deadline day as “one of the toughest days” of Palhinha’s life, and the 27-year-old subsequently missed the Cottagers’ crushing 5-1 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel expressed regret that the trade was not completed on time, and he remains puzzled as to why the transaction fell through.
It remains to be seen whether Bayern will renew their interest in Palhinha in January, while other teams may enter the fray.
Both Liverpool and West Ham United were said to be interested in the former Sporting Lisbon player earlier this summer, with the latter having a £45 million bid rejected by Fulham.
Man United were also connected with the Portugal international, who has four years left on his Craven Cottage contract.
According to Football Insider, the Red Devils were’very interested’ to capture Palhinha during the summer transfer window, but they chose not to pursue him further owing to Financial Fair Play.
Erik ten Hag is claimed to be a “big fan” of Palhinha and “would have loved” to lure him to Manchester United.
Man United, on the other hand, finalized the loan acquisition of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with the option to purchase the Moroccan permanently next summer.
Following Amrabat’s arrival at Old Trafford after a protracted negotiating process, the report claims that Man United are unlikely to pursue a move for Palhinha in January unless they generate considerable sums from player sales.
Donny van de Beek’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain after he was left out of the club’s 25-man Champions League roster.
The Dutchman has dropped down the pecking order under Ten Hag, and it remains to be seen whether he will leave Old Trafford permanently or temporarily in the coming weeks, or whether he will continue as a backup option for the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, Scott McTominay was linked with a move away from Manchester United during the summer transfer season, and he apparently drew late interest from Fulham as a prospective replacement for Palhinha.
For more Sports updates please follow us on Twitter
