Joao Palhinha: Fulham set £60m valuation with Man Utd and Bayern Munich interested in midfielder

Fulham value Joao Palhinha at double the £30m bid they have rejected from Bayern Munich.

Barcelona and Manchester United are also interested, but it is unlikely the Spanish side would be able to afford him and there is uncertainty surrounding the managerial situation at Old Trafford.

There is no release clause in the new Fulham contract Palhinha signed last September. The deal runs to 2028 and Fulham have the option to extend it by another year.

Fulham retain an interest in Fluminense midfielder Andre amid uncertainty over Palhinha’s future. Andre is one of a number of midfielders the club are looking at should they ultimately need to replace him.

Palhinha almost moved to Bayern on Deadline Day last summer. Fulham also turned down a £45m bid from West Ham last July.

Last week, we reported Bayern were ready to make a renewed effort to sign Palhinha, according to Sky in Germany.

New Bayern boss Vincent Kompany is eager to bring the Portugal international to the Bundesliga with backing from sporting directors Max Eberl and Christoph Freund.

Bayern are understood to be willing to pay up to £38m for the 28-year-old.

Erik ten Hag future to be decided this week by Man Utd

Manchester United are expected to make a decision on the future of manager Erik ten Hag this week with Thomas Tuchel out of the running to replace him.

Ten Hag has returned from holiday but is yet to find out whether he will be in charge for a third season at Old Trafford with the club’s post-season review still ongoing.

Former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Tuchel held talks with United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in France last week but is no longer under consideration for the job should United decide to make a change.

As far as Ten Hag is concerned, he is still the United manager and has one year left on his contract, but the longer the review goes on the more potentially concerning it becomes for him.

The 54-year-old led United to FA Cup glory last month to secure his second major trophy in as many seasons, but an eighth-place finish in the Premier League and a dismal European campaign has cast doubt on his position.

While he is aware of reports the club have been in contact with other managers, Ten Hag has always wanted to stay but is realistic when it comes to expectations about his future.

What do Man Utd need this summer?

With Erik ten Hag’s future still in the balance, Manchester United’s inevitable summer of upheaval could see additions in all areas of the pitch – they have struggled both defensively and offensively.

The departure of the experienced Raphael Varane will leave the club light at the back, especially with Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw’s ongoing injury concerns.

They used 14 different centre-back partnerships this season and veteran Jonny Evans clocked more league appearances than any other centre-back at the club. So, a keen eye will be cast over a defence that conceded a Premier League club-record 58 goals this term.