João Palhinha signs new deal with Fulham after nearly moving to Bayern Munich
Fulham's Joao Palhinha celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Fulham at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. Credit: AP/Frank Augstein
LONDON — João Palhinha extended his contract at Fulham on Thursday, tying him to the club through the 2027-28 season less than two weeks after he nearly joined Bayern Munich.
Palhinha's new deal includes an option for the Premier League club to add an extra year.
The Portuguese midfielder arrived in Munich for a medical check at Bayern on Sept. 1 but no deal was completed before the transfer window closed at the end of the day. Palhinha appeared to refer to that in a statement released by Fulham.
“I feel happy. A lot of history happened these few weeks for me, you heard a lot of things about my future, but I’m just focused on my work at Fulham,” he said. “I always have 100% commitment with this club, I have all the respect for the club, for the fans."
Fulham also announced a new four-year contract for defensive midfielder Harrison Reed.