Tottenham have agreed a loan deal to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich with an option to buy for £26m, according to reports.
Palhinha only joined Bayern in a £47.4m transfer from Fulham in June 2024 but he’s now set for a return to the Premier League, talkSPORT have reported.
The Portugal international was hampered by injuries across a frustrating debut season last term at the Allianz Arena and managed a total of just six league starts across Bayern’s title-winning campaign.
Having found himself below Leon Goretzka, Aleks Pavlovic, Joshua Kimmich and Konrad Laimer in the pecking order by the end of the season, the 30-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements.
The recent arrival of Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim only added more uncertainty to Palhinha’s situation.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
According to The Athletic, Palhinha was made ‘available’ by Bayern and Spurs were keeping close tabs on developments, with new head coach Thomas Frank pushing for reinforcements in midfield.
The report claimed Tottenham and Bayern picked up negotiations again having agreed a permanent deal for Mathys Tel – following an initial loan move – this summer.
Palhinha is now set to follow Mohammed Kudus, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai through the doors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to become Spurs’ fourth new recruit of the transfer window.
Earlier this month, reports emanating out of Germany claimed Arsenal were interested in Palhinha and had held ‘serious’ discussions to sign the Bayern misfit prior to the Club World Cup.
Serie A giants Inter Milan were also heavily linked with Palhinha, while top teams in Spain, Turkey and Portugal were said to be monitoring developments.
During a recent interview with Portuguese outlet Sport TV – before Spurs agreed a deal for Palhinha – the player insisted he remained committed to his contract with Bayern, which currently runs through to June 2028.
‘I have a contract for three more years, so I’ll report for duty on July 29, which is when we start this pre-season,’ he said.
‘As I’ve said several times, and it’s been a recurring question, I have three more years on my contract.’
Palhinha admitted there was some uncertainty over his future, but was determined to ‘prove his worth’ after a disappointing first year in German football.
He added: ‘I don’t know what will happen, but I’m at a great club, as I’ve always said, he added.
‘Obviously, it hasn’t been an easy year, but as soon as the season starts, I’m very motivated to prove my worth once again at a very special club, a huge club.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
