“It’s like a marriage”
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With his fifth goal of the season, João Palhinha (30) kept Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Now the loanee from Munich is campaigning for his stay at Spurs after barely staying in the league. For FC Bayern, the permanent signing could mean a transfer fee similar to that which the Londoners transferred to the state capital for Mathys Tel, even though Palhinha’s market value suffered enormously from the weak season.
“I feel at home here since I arrived,” Palhinha said during a media round about his hoped-for stay, according to The Athletic. “From the fans, the atmosphere in the stadium; a top club. Who wouldn’t want to play for Tottenham and stay here? I have everything here. It’s like a marriage. I can tell you that I really want to stay here and I’m really enjoying the season, even if it’s a difficult one.”
Palhinha added: “I hope next season will be completely different, I firmly believe in that. I think this season will help Tottenham for the future. The season will analyze what we did wrong and what we did well and it is, in my opinion, a significant improvement and a big relief after the season.”
Purchase option for Palhinha like previous market value at Bayern
According to reports, the loan deal between Bayern and Tottenham includes a purchase option worth around 30 million euros. In the summer of last year, the Spurs also drew up such a contract clause for Bayern talent Tel, who cost 35 million euros when he was signed permanently. Bayern had already received 10 million euros as a loan fee for Tel. So far, 5 million euros were due for Palhinha. The record champions have received a transfer fee of 30 million euros or more nine times in their transfer history to date.
However, it is questionable whether Tottenham would actually be willing to pay 30 million euros for Palhinha. The player’s market value fell by almost half over the course of the Spurs season. Instead of 30 million euros as was the case with Bayern’s farewell, Transfermarkt only values the Portuguese at 18 million euros. The English could possibly try to freely negotiate a transfer fee with the Bundesliga champions.
On the last Premier League matchday, Tottenham averted relegation to the Championship with the help of Palhinha’s golden goal against Everton (1-0). In the event of a defeat, West Ham United, now relegated, would have overtaken their city rivals. Instead, a 3-0 win in the last game against Leeds was no longer enough for the Irons. For Palhinha it was the seventh goal in 45 competitive games for Tottenham. At FC Bayern, the defensive midfielder failed to score in 25 appearances.
