João 'Palhinha' Lobo Alves Palhinha is a formidable centre midfielder, standing 6ft 2in (1.9m) tall and weighing 12st 12lb (82kg), born on the 9th of July, 1995 in Portugal. He currently circles the pitch for Bayern Munich whilst wearing the number 16 jersey. His budding career has also afforded him the opportunity to represent his home country, solidifying a crucial role in the Portugal national team.
According to Transfermarkt, Palhinha's market value is around £34m, a measure of his rising fame. His contract with the Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich is set to run until the 30th of June, 2028.
Palhinha's football trajectory has seen him weather several loan spells and club transfers. In August 2015, he was loaned from Sporting CP to fellow Liga Portugal club Moreirense. His debut season witnessed him making 29 first team appearances in league matches for Moreirense. On returning to Sporting CP, he made 11 appearances in the 2016 - 2017 season, two appearances in the 2017 - 2018 season, and then found his rhythm in the more recent 2020 - 2021 season with 32 appearances and a goal. He made 27 appearances and slotted home three goals in the 2021 - 2022 season.
In between his Sporting CP service, he was loaned to B-SAD in the Segunda Divisão in Portugal for the 2016 - 2017 season, a stint that saw him make 13 appearances and score a goal. He also had a two-season loan spell at SC Braga, where he made 23 appearances and scored twice in the 2018 - 2019 season. The subsequent season saw him make 27 appearances with two goals.
Suffice to say, by the time Palhinha transferred from Sporting CP to the Premier League's Fulham in July 2022 for a fee of around £18m, he had amassed considerable league experience. His time spent at Fulham was fruitful. The 2022 - 2023 season saw him striding across the pitch 35 times, scoring three goals. In the following season, he made 33 appearances in the league and managed to increase his goal tally to four.
However, the allure of the Bundesliga could not be resisted. Palhinha transferred from Fulham to Bayern Munich in July 2024 for an astounding figure of around £42m. In his current stint at Bayern Munich, he has made ten first team appearances in league matches.
Pahlinha's international presence is as robust as his club career, having had four starts in the Euro 2024 for Portugal and six starts in the Euro Qualifiers 2022 - 2024. He also donned the Portugal colours for two starts in the Nations League 2024 - 2025. More impressively, he has begun to play a part in Bayern Munich’s Champions League campaign, having made two starts and one appearance as a substitute in the 2024 - 2025 season.
