Arsenal reportedly made a shock bid to sign Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich team-mate Joao Palhinha before snapping up Martin Zubimendi.
- Gunners spending big in summer window
- Held talks regarding Portuguese midfielder
- Unable to agree a deal with German giants
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Gunners always intended to acquire Spain international Zubimendi, with a £60 million ($80m) transfer being completed with Real Sociedad. He was, however, not the only midfielder that Mikel Arteta had on his recruitment radar.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
According to , Arsenal made a serious play for Portuguese star Palhinha before Bayern headed to the FIFA Club World Cup. He is a player with Premier League experience from a spell at Fulham.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Palhinha left Craven Cottage for the Allianz Arena in 2024 for £48m ($64m). He endured a testing debut campaign in Germany – despite becoming a Bundesliga title winner – with only seven league starts taken in while sitting out two months through injury.
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TELL ME MORE
It is claimed that Bayern were willing to offload Palhinha back to English football for around £26m ($35m), as they took a hefty financial hit on the 30-year-old, but Arsenal were unable to agree a deal during transfer talks.