Tottenham stay likely
©IMAGO
The article was first published on October 8th and was updated on the 13th with information about Palhinha’s future (5th paragraph)
At the press conference before Portugal’s World Cup qualifying game against Ireland in the middle of last week, João Palhinha looked back on his time at FC Bayern. “I didn’t have the chances I thought I deserved. It wasn’t an easy season for me. But those are phases,” said the defensive midfielder. Palhinha is thriving at Tottenham Hotspur and is an important part of Thomas Frank’s team. No wonder it was said on Monday that it was becoming increasingly likely that the 30-year-old would stay in London.
The Portuguese was in the starting line-up eight times this season – in Munich there were only two games more. Among other things, he scored important goals in the 2-0 win against Manchester City and the 1-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. “Now I’m going through a happy phase in my life. I now have opportunities that I didn’t have in the past. I have full trust in the people who wanted to bring me to Tottenham. In this case it’s the coach,” explained Palhinha, who is third in the Premier League with Spurs. Under Frank, the Europa League winner showed significant improvement in the early stages of the season.
In the summer of 2024, FC Bayern paid Fulham 51 million euros for the services of Palhinha, who was never able to match his Premier League performances in Munich. The sixth most expensive newcomer in the club’s history played 25 games over 986 minutes and remained without a scorer. In defensive midfield he was ranked below Vincent Kompany, behind Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka. Injuries such as a torn muscle bundle in the fall also slowed him down.
FC Bayern’s loanee Palhinha can imagine staying in Tottenham
The prospect of playing time did not increase after the Munich team signed Tom Bischof from TSG Hoffenheim before the Club World Cup. Palhinha returned to the Premier League on loan, while Tottenham secured a purchase option worth up to 30 million euros. He can well imagine staying there. “If you feel that trust and feel like you’re welcome in a place, then I think it’s the right place for you. It was a very easy decision for me.”
Update October 13th: On Monday evening, “Sky Sport DE” reported that Tottenham’s desire for a longer-term collaboration was also growing. The Spurs therefore tend to activate the purchase option.
Bayern have a good connection with Spurs, with whom they have concluded some big deals in recent years. Harry Kane was signed in 2023 for 95 million euros, Eric Dier came in 2024 for a total of 3.5 million euros and Mathys Tel was transferred to London for 45 million euros. 5 million euros were already due for Palhinha’s loan.