Aston Villa transfer news: Talks for former Tottenham Hotspur star confirmed by club chief

Aston Villa sporting director Damian Vidagany has confirmed that talks have been held over the potential signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Unai Emery is in the market for at least one more central midfielder after a serious knee injury sustained by Amadou Onana and the departure of Youri Tielemans to Manchester United.

Although there was talk of Villa chasing Palhinha earlier in the transfer window, speculation has quietened down in recent weeks.

However, the two teams squared off in a friendly on Friday, with Bayern Munich running out 2-1 victors in a game which saw Palhinha introduced as a substitute.

In an interview with BILD, Vidagany has provided an update over whether Villa are close to finalising a deal.

Aston Villa chief speaks on Palhinha interest

While Vidagany wanted to withhold many details of the discussions, he conceded that Villa were pushing hard to sign the former Tottenham Hotspur star.

He said: "We need a midfielder because Amadou Onana is out for the entire season – and João Palhinha is a very good player who would fit our plans.

"We are in talks, but there is currently no agreement. If something were to happen, it would always be based on the great respect we have for Bayern.

"We are friendly clubs, and our relationship with Max Eberl, Christoph Freund, and all the other officials is excellent. Therefore, I cannot and do not wish to comment on any further details."

Vidagany is of the opinion that Villa are the ideal club for Palhinha to continue his career, adding: "I believe Aston Villa would be a great club for the player. In the league, six or seven clubs have a bigger budget than us.

"Nevertheless, we’ve qualified for international competitions every year for the past four years.

"That’s down to our project, our work as a team, and the tactical influence of Unai Emery, who in my eyes is one of the best coaches in the world."

What next for Palhinha?

A Bayern Munich official recently acknowledged that Palhinha is not part of the plans of Vincent Kompany.

Therefore, providing that Villa can agree terms with their Bayern counterparts, the expectation is that a deal will go through before the start of the new Premier League campaign.

However, negotiations may not conclude prior to Villa facing Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday.