​Bayern Munich could have another option at midfield in João Palhinha, as Benfica appear to hold some interest in the 31-year-old. Benfica are currently the club showing the strongest pursuit of Palhinha and are preparing a bid in the region of €20 million fixed, with up to €5 million in performance-related add-ons. Benfica coach Marco Silva, who previously worked with Palhinha at Fulham, views him as his preferred midfield target and is eager to reunite with him. Palhinha, for his part, has expressed a strong interest in returning to Portugal and to Lisbon. At this stage, Bayern Munich may be less concerned with Palhinha’s destination and more focused on offloading his €12 million salary from their balance sheet. Securing that level of savings would be a real coup for the Bavarians, who currently have little use for Palhinha.
In other transfer chatter, Arsenal could be prepared to invest heavily in Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, or at least they are weighing that possibility. Football Insider reports that Arsenal would need to meet Villa’s asking price if they want the 23-year-old attacking midfielder. Villa, with five years left on Rogers’ contract, are expected to stand firm at a £130 million fee. Rogers enjoyed an impressive spell last season, scoring 10 goals in 37 Premier League appearances, and he remains a top name on Mikel Arteta’s shortlist.
Two media commentators hoping to outdo each other provided a memorable moment during a Moroccan national team press conference ahead of the World Cup quarterfinal against France. While Brahim Díaz answered the first question, two reporters erupted into a heated exchange from the back rows, with a Moroccan journalist accusing a French colleague of shoving him. FIFA officials intervened, though the correction was later issued to note it was a dispute between a Moroccan and a Brazilian reporter. It was the kind of confrontation that begged for a brawl to break out on the spot.
Meanwhile, attention in the transfer market remains fixed on Xavier Parker, a Manchester City prospect who has drawn interest from several top clubs including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig. City are keen to hold onto the teenage midfielder, while teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur have already made approaches in an effort to bring Parker back to Europe’s capital at Chelsea, Tottenham, or Arsenal’s doorstep after his move from West Ham United’s academy to City in 2024. The pursuit isn’t limited to England, either: Real Madrid has also checked on Parker’s status, though they’re currently monitoring for better SEO. In short, Parker’s future remains the subject of global interest as European clubs vie to secure one of the game’s brightest young talents.