Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl made a bold statement regarding the future of 31-year-old midfielder Joao Palhinha. At the presentation of the club's new signing, Ismael Saybury, the official categorically denied any chance of a move to Aston Villa for the Portuguese player.
Palhinha, who returned to Munich after a loan spell at Tottenham, where the London club opted not to trigger a purchase clause, is on Aston Villa's radar. However, Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany has made it clear that he doesn't feature in his plans, which means the Germans are open to selling him but only on their terms.
Last weekend saw talks between officials from both clubs during a friendly match, but Bayern refused to budge.
Max Eberl commented on the situation saying:
You have read that Aston Villa contacted us about Joao. That's true, but we will not reach an agreement with Aston Villa. We are not in a position to agree to all demands from others. It doesn’t work like that with us. The chances of reaching an agreement are nil.
At this stage, it's unclear whether Eberl's firm stance marks a definitive end to negotiations or if it is merely a tactical move to exert pressure on the Birmingham club.
