João Palhinha joins Benfica from Bayern Munich
João Palhinha has completed a permanent transfer from Bayern Munich back to his native Portugal with Benfica.
After joining Bayern from Fulham in the summer of 2024, Palhinha made just 25 competitive appearances for the club, winning the Bundesliga title in his debut campaign before spending last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur.
"We’ve discussed João’s situation openly with him and found a solution that we could all agree on. He’s decided to continue his career in his home country. We thank him for his time at Bayern and wish him all the best for the future," said board member for sport Max Eberl of the move.
Palhinha, who last represented Portugal in November 2025, departs with Bayern boasting a wealth of midfield options. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović have established themselves as head coach Vincent Kompany's preferred pairing, with youngsters Tom Bischof and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, as well as utility man Konrad Laimer among the competition.
Bayern head into the 2026/27 campaign as defending Bundesliga and DFB Cup champions, while also pursuing their first UEFA Champions League title since 2019/20. The German giants opened the season by beating Borussia Dortmund in Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. They kick off their Bundesliga title defence at home to VfB Stuttgart on Friday.
