Harry Kane has already told Aston Villa's stars why their club should sign Joao Palhinha

Aston Villa are reportedly advancing in talks to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha on loan this summer.

The 31-year-old spent the season on loan at Tottenham, who decided against signing him permanently.

The Portuguese midfielder enjoyed a strong season back in the Premier League and ultimately scored the goal that kept the North London club up, but the arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have changed the situation.

That has left the chance for Villa to sign Palhinha, who is under contract at Bayern until 2028, on what will likely be a season-long loan.

It has been a busy couple of weeks at Villa Park, particularly for Unai Emery's midfield.

Amadou Onana's ACL injury was followed by Youri Tielemans' sudden departure for Manchester United, with Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes now expected to arrive in their places.

Harry Kane hailed Joao Palhinha

Palhinha was first introduced to the Premier League when he joined Fulham in 2022.

There, he became an instant hit, receiving rave reviews for his seemingly relentless ability to win tackle after tackle.

The midfielder was linked to various Premier League sides but Bayern signed him in 2024, agreeing a fee worth up to £47.4million.

Palhinha's first campaign was full of injuries and inconsistent minutes under Vincent Kompany, with the German champions having been keen to offload their huge investment for some two summer transfer windows now.

For Villa, the opportunity looks to be an ideal one, and Harry Kane, who has shared the England squad with Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins at the World Cup, has already said why.

"He’s tough, he tackles hard, he’s good on the ball, he knows the Premier League well from his time at Fulham and he’s a guy that will give everything for you," Kane told Tottenham last summer.

"I know he’s going to a good place and he’ll hopefully get some more game time and show what he can do.”

Analysing Villa's midfield rebuild

In Onana and Tielemans, Villa have lost both a destroyer and a passer, who both were integral last season.

Boubacar Kamar remains a key part of the midfield and will be involved next season, but things will be different in Emery's team.

Manzambi is expected to play further forward for the Villans, and it is difficult to see how the midfield can operate in the same way without Tielemans.

Gomes is far more of a box-to-box option, while Palhinha is simply not a good enough passer to play a similar role.