Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has admitted that he is still unsure of the exact reason why a deadline-day move for Fulham's Joao Palhinha failed.
The Portugal international is believed to have undergone a medical and completed some media duties in anticipation of his switch to Bayern on Friday night.
However, a move broke down at the final moment, with Fulham believed to have pulled the plug after being unable to bring in a replacement 28-year-old.
Tuchel has said that the breakdown of the switch left him felling "sad", and it is unclear whether the Munich giants will reignite their interest next year.
"I was sad because I knew how much Joao Palhinha wanted to join us and what the player would have given us. I don't know what exactly went wrong," Tuchel told reporters.
Palhinha was not involved in the Fulham squad for Saturday's game against Manchester City, and Cottagers head coach Marco Silva has claimed that Friday was possibly "one of the toughest days" of the midfielder's life.
"It was a tough day for him, definitely, probably one of the toughest days of his life," Silva told reporters following his side's 5-1 loss to the English champions.
"He loves Fulham, he loves football, he loves to be with us. He had the fantastic season last season and he's always a player that gives 100% for the shirt but he had a big chance to go to one of the biggest clubs in the world and he was really close.
"You can imagine the impact that has on a football player when these type of things happen. He is going to need support from all of us – the coaching staff, our fans and his teammates."
Fulham are believed to have made contact with Manchester United in the latter stages of the transfer window to discuss the possibility of signing Scott McTominay.
However, Man United allegedly made it clear that the Scotland international would not be leaving before the deadline despite the club's move for Sofyan Amrabat.
Palhinha is likely to be reintroduced into the Fulham XI when Silva's side resume their Premier League campaign at home to Luton Town on September 16.
Liverpool and West Ham United are also both believed to have shown an interest in the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder during the summer market.
The Portuguese has been in strong form since his arrival at Fulham in the summer of 2022, scoring five times in 43 appearances for the club in all competitions. body check tags ::
