Man Utd told to hijack move for ideal Casemiro replacement

Tom Weber

• Updated: 15 Jun 2024 19:22 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United legend Paul Ince has urged the club to hijack Bayern Munich's move for Joao Palhinha.

The Portuguese midfielder appears to be on his way to Germany at last. Bayern Munich had already wanted to sign the Fulham star last summer, but a Deadline Day move collapsed at the 11th hour due to the Cottagers' inability to find a replacement in time.

Palhinha had already done his media duties at the time and eventually had to jump on a plane back to England, with neither the player nor his agent making any secret of their desire to still eventually strike a deal.

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Despite this, Palhinha showed himself to be a consummate professional and once again impressed for Fulham in the bygone campaign. Now, Bayern are once again moving for him, with personal terms already agreed.

There is still some haggling taking place over the final fee, with Fulham keen to squeeze maximum value out of his departure, which has thus far led to a bit of an impasse, with talks even halted completely for a brief moment, according to Sky Germany.

Man Utd urged to hijack deal

Could another club pounce on this deal now that it has stalled a bit? It seems unlikely because Palhinha only has his heart set on joining Bayern. Nevertheless, Man Utd have been advised by club legend Paul Ince to get involved, with the Portuguese deemed an ideal replacement for Casemiro.

“Joao Palhinha could replace Casemiro next season, without a doubt,” Ince told Bet365. "I think if you look at the way he plays, I think he’s perfect for Manchester United. He gets about the park, he can pass, he can tackle, he’s strong."

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“He’s got a good size about him. He’s got everything you need to be a success at Manchester United and I hope they hijack a move...The only question is about the players you put alongside him. That’s always the toughest thing because I think to be a good player, you’ve got to play with good players."

“All the players have to be aligned in what the objective is that season. I don’t think that’s been the case with Manchester United. But I think he’s definitely the type of player that Manchester United should be looking at.”