João Palhinha arrived at Benfica and quickly started justifying the investment made by the encarnada SAD. The Portuguese midfielder was signed from Bayern Munich for around 14 million euros, a figure that can reach 19 million depending on objectives, and has already earned a place in Marco Silva's midfield.
Fábio Espinho, a former midfielder who shared a locker room with Palhinha at Moreirense during the first half of the 2015/16 season, when the player was only 20 years old, commented on the transfer in statements to Rádio Renascença. Espinho stated that Palhinha's impact doesn't surprise him, highlighting that the player already impressed him at that time with his professionalism, the way he trained and the way he competed.
According to Espinho, with this work capacity, Palhinha will free up even more the players who are further ahead on the pitch, like Sudakov and Barreiro. The former midfielder also noted that Palhinha feels comfortable playing alone in zone 6, referring to the defensive midfield position.
Espinho also recalled the mindset demonstrated by Palhinha since his first steps in his career, showing that the qualities now seen at Benfica were already present when they both played together at Moreirense.
