Tottenham Strengthens Midfield with the Arrival of João Palhinha
Tottenham Hotspur has strengthened its midfield with the addition of Portuguese international João Palhinha, coming from Bayern Munich. The transfer was finalized through a loan with an option to buy, marking a key reinforcement for the team as they return to the Champions League.
Palhinha returns to London and the Premier League, a year after his departure from Fulham to join Bayern Munich. The defensive midfielder still has three years remaining on his contract with the Bavarian club.
Both Bayern Munich and Tottenham confirmed the agreement this Sunday.
Palhinha is expected to offer a similar defensive option in midfield to players like Rodrigo Bentancur or Yves Bissouma.
Expectations for Palhinha at Bayern were high, but his time there was not as expected, spending most of the Club World Cup on the bench.
Palhinha was a key target for Bayern in 2023, when then-coach Thomas Tuchel was looking to reinforce the midfield. The player even traveled to Munich for a medical, but Bayern’s deal with Fulham fell through at the last moment.
A year later, when Bayern finally signed Palhinha for a figure close to 50 million euros, Vincent Kompany was the new coach.
Palhinha’s season was affected by injuries or illness, but even when fit, Kompany often preferred the 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 Club World Cup matches.
This is the second time this preseason that Tottenham has signed a player who was not a starter at Bayern, after making the loan of striker Mathys Tel permanent.
