Arsenal’s transfer activity continues to gather momentum, and it has now emerged that sporting director Andrea Berta made a discreet approach for Joao Palhinha earlier this summer, according to Bild.
Though Arsenal have made significant progress in other areas — with deals for Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres advancing — midfield reinforcement was already a key consideration. The Gunners had Martin Zubimendi locked in since February, but before finalizing that move, Real Madrid attempted to hijack the deal. Anticipating complications, Berta lined up Palhinha as an alternative.
Palhinha, who joined Bayern Munich for £47.3 million from Fulham last summer, was on Arsenal’s radar, but the Gunners were unable to strike a deal with the Bundesliga giants. This strategic flexibility — moving quickly between targets — highlights Berta’s proactive transfer approach, a hallmark that also saw Arsenal pivot from Benjamin Sesko to Gyokeres seamlessly.
Despite a difficult first season at Bayern under Vincent Kompany, Palhinha remains committed, recently stating:
“I have three more years on my contract. I’ll report for duty on July 29. I’m motivated to prove my worth again at a very special, huge club.”
While Palhinha’s immediate future appears tied to Bayern, the door isn’t entirely closed, especially if his situation doesn’t improve. For Arsenal, it underscores Berta’s multi-target strategy, ensuring the club is never caught off-guard in negotiations — a critical trait as Arsenal aim to reinforce every key area Arteta identified.
With Zubimendi, Norgaard, and other targets secured, Arsenal’s midfield revamp appears well-constructed, even if Palhinha wasn’t secured — for now.
