“I didn’t expect that” – Player on Fulham exit, held talks with duo before securing summer transfer

João Palhinha was at Fulham for two seasons and left them for Bayern Munich in the last window.

The Portugal international could have joined the Bundesliga side in the summer of 2023. Bayern had agreed a deal with Fulham but couldn’t complete the operation before the window closed.

Palhinha has now given an interview to Bayern’s club magazine, 51. He has expressed his delight to have given another opportunity to join Bayern in the summer window, a year after the failed transfer.

“There’s a saying in my home country: sometimes a train doesn’t come twice. But in this case, the train came a second time – and the doors opened again,” he said.

“I didn’t necessarily expect that, and I think it’s extraordinary that this big club never lost contact. It all showed me once again what a special club FC Bayern is, and that they really believe in me in Munich.”

The defensive midfielder has revealed he held talks with two former Bayern players, João Cancelo and Renato Sanches, before joining the German club.

“I spoke to João Cancelo and Renato Sanches and they both told me the same thing: that they felt very comfortable in Munich, that they loved playing for Bayern. I liked that and it confirmed my decision,” Palhinha explained.

Bayern paid €56m to the Premier League side to secure the 29-year-old’s services and offered him a contract until 2028.

The former Sporting man was a regular under Marco Silva, making 79 appearances in all competitions for Fulham, but is yet to cement a place at Bayern. He’s been limited to 153 minutes from five matches under Vincet Kompany so far.

When asked if he feels pressure, Palhinha insists he’s eager to prove himself at Bayern.

“Bayern wanted to sign me twice, and now it’s up to me to take responsibility for the club, to become a big player for this club,” he added.

“I don’t worry about how much money the club has spent on me or what the expectations are as a result. My focus is on what I can do on the pitch. I’m here now and I’ll give it my all, in every training session, in every game. That’s how I’ve always done it in my career.”