Fulham have announced a new contract for Joao Palhinha, keeping him at the club until 2029 – just weeks after the midfielder almost left Craven Cottage in a dream move to Bayern Munich.
The Portugal international flew to Munich to undergo medical treatment with the Bundesliga giants, but the transfer collapsed at the last minute after the Cottagers failed to secure a replacement for the player before the window slammed shut.
Fulham also gave Harrison Reed an extension until 2027, with the option to extend the deal for a further year.
In the aftermath of Palhinha’s failed move, head coach Marco Silva appealed for the sympathy of the club’s supporters, calling the experience “one of the toughest days of his life.”
“You can imagine the impact it has on a footballer when things like this happen,” Silva shared after deadline day, but added: “He loves Fulham, he loves football, he loves being with us are.’
Joao Palhinha has signed a contract extension to keep him at Fulham for another six years
The player came close to a deadline day move to Bayern Munich during the transfer window
Harrison Reed also put pen to paper on a new deal to keep him at Craven Cottage for the long term
Palhinha echoed the sentiments as he shared his thoughts on signing the contract extension, which runs until 2028, with the option for the club to offer the player an additional year.
‘I feel happy. A lot of history has happened for me in these few weeks, you have heard a lot of things about my future, but I am only focusing on my work at Fulham,” Palhinha said.
‘I always have 100 percent commitment to this club, I have full respect for the club, for the fans. From day one they have been very supportive, and me and my family felt that from the first moment I arrived here.
‘I’ll give it everything I’ve got. It was always like that, on the field, off the field, in our locker room with my teammates.
‘I have a lot of respect for everyone here at Fulham and I am ready to start again, give my best and achieve good things.’
Fulham director of football Tony Khan added: ‘We all know what a fantastic player he is and his contribution to the team has been enormous. I really appreciate how hard Joao fights for us on the pitch and am happy that we have signed a new contract.”
The midfielder made an immediate impact upon arriving in west London at the start of the 2022/2023 season and was named the club’s Player of the Season at the end-of-year awards.
Reed has been a long-term servant at the club and was loaned from Southampton in 2019, but the player remains a regular starter under Silva.
Upon signing his new contract, which runs until 2027 with the option of a one-year extension, Reed shared, “I’m eager to get it over the line. It’s something we’ve been working on for a short period of time, but I’m very happy to put pen to paper.
‘I made it clear from day one that my future was here and if the Club matches that then let’s get something done.
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Fulham tried to tie both Palhinha and Reed down to long-term deals to keep them at the club
Reed (right) has been a loyal servant at Fulham since joining the Cottagers five seasons ago
“Luckily the club’s ambition matched mine, so I’m very happy and looking forward to the future.”
Despite this, Palhinha’s brother could not rule out a move to Bayern for his brother (and client) in the future, as he emphasized that relations between the two sides remained good under the circumstances.
“They didn’t kill the dream, they just postponed it,” Goncalo Palhinha said after the move to the German giants fell through. ‘Very proud of my brother and the player I represent. ‘
The agent then praised the Bavarian club’s ‘respect, honesty and professionalism’.