Football Transfers: Palhinha returns to Lisbon, Man City signs Bouaddi for €100m

Midfielder João Palhinha is returning to his former club Benfica in Lisbon, having departed FC Bayern. The German record champions confirmed the transfer on Tuesday.

Benfica announced they will pay Bayern a transfer fee of 14 million euros, which could increase to 19 million euros through additional bonus payments. Palhinha had initially joined Bayern from Fulham for 51 million euros in the summer of 2024 but failed to meet expectations in Munich. Bayern's sporting director, Max Eberl, stated that the club openly discussed Palhinha's situation and found a mutually agreeable path forward, noting that Bayern had previously indicated they would not be counting on him.

In other transfer news, Manchester City has secured the signing of highly-rated Moroccan talent Ayyoub Bouaddi from OSC Lille. Reports suggest the transfer fee for the 18-year-old midfielder is around 100 million euros. Bouaddi, who impressed at the World Cup, has signed a contract with City until 2031. He made his professional debut for Lille shortly after his 16th birthday and became a regular starter. Meanwhile, winger Moussa Diaby is reportedly close to returning to Bayer Leverkusen from Saudi club Al-Ittihad FC for a fee of approximately 30 million euros.