João Palhinha completes move from Bayern München to Benfica
João Palhinha has completed a transfer from Bayern München to Benfica, with the move confirmed on 24 August 2026. The midfielder returns to competitive football in Portugal after a brief spell in Germany.
Palhinha's move to Bayern had followed his time at Tottenham, where he made 33 Premier League appearances last year, adding further outings in the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Across all competitive fixtures in 2025 he featured 45 times, totalling 2,800 minutes and six goals.
His stay at Bayern was brief, with his only recorded appearance for the club coming in the FIFA Club World Cup, where he played 45 minutes.
The switch to Benfica gives Palhinha a fresh platform to build minutes as the new season gets under way, with the midfielder set to add competitive experience to the squad following his varied run of appearances across four different competitions last year.