It’s always fascinating, and fun, when the preseason friendly schedule perfectly syncs up with the transfer market. Such is the case with Bayern Munich’s João Palhinha. He’s wanted by Aston Villa, and as it turns out, the two teams will face each other in Hong Kong on Friday night. According to a report in BILD (h/t Yahoo Sports) the two parties will utilize this exhibition match as a chance to negotiate face to face, and hopefully, reach an agreement for the exchange of the Portuguese midfielder.
Audi Football Summitt 2026
Bayern Munich vs Aston Villa
Fri. Aug. 7, Kai Tak Stadium, Kai Tak Sports Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Kickoff: 1:00 PM BST, 2:00 PM CEST, 8:00 AM EDT
Vincent Kompany’s Comments on His Upcoming Team Selection: go here
Stream: FC Bayern TV Plus
FC Bayern are reportedly seeking about €25 million in return for Palhinha, and Villa would like to knock them down a bit from that amount.
With Youri Tielemans gone to Manchester United, and Amadou Onana out for most, if not all the upcoming season, Villa really need to add midfield reinforcements this summer.
Team News for Both Sides
Boubacar Kamara returned to action against BG Pathum United, and scored within a minute of being subbed on.
“I’ve worked hard during my rehab, for coming back stronger, so I’m happy to be here,” Kamara said of his first competitive action since he suffered a knee ligament injury in January. “It’s good for the head. This goal will give me more confidence and I need to keep going.”
So maybe he goes into the first team now for this match? If so, he would still play limited minutes. Elsewhere team captain John McGinn suffered a knee injury against BG Pathum, so he’ll join Onana and Johan Manzambi on the sidelines for this one.
As for Bayern, nothing new to report right now. Canadian Alphonso Davies and new acquisition Ismael Saibari did not make the trip, in order to focus on building up their fitness.
Post World Cup Absentees
Both teams had several players feature at the World Cup in North America, and thus, they were granted some post tournament leave to rest and relax. A few players have yet to return from that leave. For Villa, this list consists of Lucas Digne, Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa.
For Bayern, it’s Dayot Upamecano, Harry Kane and Michael Olise.
Starting XI Predictions for Both Sides
Aston Villa
Marco Bizot; Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen; Boubacar Kamara, Lamare Bogarde; Evan Guessand, Emi Buendia, Alejandro Garnacho; Brian Madjo
Bayern Munich
Jonas Urbig; Zaza Boey, Jonathan Tah, Kim Min-Jae, Tom Bischof; Hiroki Ito, Joao Palhinha, Joshua Kimmich; Arijon Ibrahimovic, Felipe Chavez; Bastian Assomo
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.