Tottenham Strengthens Midfield with the Arrival of João Palhinha
Tottenham Hotspur have strengthened their midfield ahead of their return to the Champions League, securing the loan of Portuguese international João Palhinha from Bayern Munich, with an option to buy.
The defensive midfielder returns to London and the Premier League a year after leaving Fulham, following a highly publicized but largely unsuccessful move to Bayern. Palhinha has three years left on his contract with Bayern.
Both Bayern and Tottenham confirmed the agreement on Sunday.
Palhinha offers a similar option in defensive midfield to players like Rodrigo Bentancur or Yves Bissouma, from Tottenham.
Expectations for Palhinha at Bayern were high, but his time at the club ended with the Portuguese midfielder spending most of the Club World Cup on the bench.
Palhinha was a key target for Bayern in 2023, when then-coach Thomas Tuchel wanted to reinforce the team’s midfield. Palhinha even traveled to Munich to undergo a medical examination, but Bayern’s agreement with Fulham fell through at the last moment.
When Bayern finally signed Palhinha for a figure close to 50 million euros, a year later, Vincent Kompany was the new coach.
Palhinha’s season was affected by injuries or illness, but even when fit, Kompany often preferred young Aleksandar Pavlovic in midfield.
Palhinha only started in 10 of the 25 matches he played with Bayern in all competitions and was a substitute in four of Bayern’s five matches at the Club World Cup.
It’s the second time this offseason that Tottenham has signed a player who wasn’t in Bayern’s plans, after making the transfer of forward Mathys Tel permanent.
