Joao Palhinha has again cast doubt over his Fulham future by reiterating his desire to play at a "higher" level.
The midfielder was hours away from joining Bayern Munich in the summer, going as far as flying out to Bavaria for a medical only for Fulham to reject the £57million bid after failing to secure a replacement.
Palhinha soon after signed a contract extension until 2028, with an option for a further year. It remains to be seen if Bayern will make a fresh approach in January, but have continued to track the performances of the Fulham man.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of Portugal’s games against Liechtenstein and Iceland, Palhinha admitted: “I don’t know what will happen in the future.
“I want to keep going the way I’ve been going. Nobody has given me anything throughout my career, everything I’ve achieved is down to my worth, my work. I hope it stays that way. I’m 28, but I know I can go higher and I’m looking to the future with that ambition.”
Addressing his collapsed move to Bayern, he added: “It’s really affected me and my family, but that’s all in the past, I don’t want to think about it too much. It’s a great source of pride, you know what happened.
“In my life, everything that has happened has been for a reason, I like to think of it like that.
“The future will tell me whether what happened was really what had to happen or not, but only the future will show me that.”
