Joao Palhinha leaves Bayern Munich to reunite with Marco Silva at Benfica

Joao Palhinha has left Bayern Munich to join Benfica and reunite with Marco Silva, ending a two-year spell in Germany after deciding to return to his native Portugal.

The 31-year-old midfielder moved to Bayern from Fulham in 2024 and won the Bundesliga during his first season with the club. However, he made only 25 appearances for the German champions, starting 10 of those matches.

Palhinha spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Tottenham, where he played a significant role in the final stages of the season as the London club secured their Premier League survival on the last day.

He scored the only goal in Tottenham’s 1-0 win against Everton, a result which also helped his former club Fulham avoid relegation.

The move to Benfica reunites Palhinha with Silva, who was his manager during a successful two-year period at Fulham. Palhinha had been linked with a possible return to the Premier League, with Aston Villa and Newcastle reportedly considering moves for him, but he has instead chosen to continue his career in Portugal.

Bayern sporting board member Max Eberl confirmed the club had reached an agreement with Palhinha regarding his future.

“We’ve discussed Joao Palhinha’s situation openly with him and found a solution that we could all agree on,” Eberl said.

“He’s decided to continue his career in his home country. We thank him for his time at FC Bayern and wish him all the best for the future.”

Palhinha began his senior career in Portugal, representing Moreirense, Sporting CP, Belenenses and Braga before establishing himself in English football.

His defensive contribution was particularly clear during his time at Fulham. He made more tackles and won more duels than any other player at the club, recording 185 tackles and 632 duels won across his two seasons at Craven Cottage.

He also ranked second for both aerial duels won and interceptions during that period.

Benfica have made a solid start to the domestic campaign, taking four points from their opening two league matches. Their early results included a 7-0 victory over Casa Pia.

The Portuguese side have also progressed in Europa League qualifying. They beat Hearts before taking a 3-1 advantage against AGF Aarhus in their play-off tie.

Palhinha’s departure brings to an end a Bayern spell in which he was unable to establish himself as a regular starter, despite his reputation as one of the leading defensive midfielders in English football. At Benfica, he will now work again under Silva as the club continue their domestic campaign and push to complete their progress in Europe.