Despite a regular place: Bayern loanee Palhinha faces an uncertain future | OneFootball

Joao Palhinha is experiencing a completely different sporting reality at Tottenham Hotspur than he did at FC Bayern – but despite a regular place and strong performances, his future in North London remains open

The Portuguese international recently caused a stir with a spectacular goal. In the away game at Bournemouth, Palhinha scored with a bicycle kick after a corner – a real dream goal. In the end, however, it was not enough for Spurs to score, Tottenham lost 3:2 and slipped to 14th place in the table. For Palhinha personally, however, the scene underlines his growing importance in the team

The 30-year-old has clearly established himself at Tottenham. While he never got beyond the role of a substitute at FC Bayern, Palhinha is now a permanent fixture in the starting eleven at Spurs. In 29 competitive matches, the defensive midfielder has scored five goals and provided three assists – remarkable figures for a six-man. In the Premier League, he started 14 times and came on as a substitute six times. The 37-time international only missed one game

Despite this development, the Portuguese’s future is anything but clear. Palhinha is still on loan from Bayern to Tottenham until the summer. The Londoners then have a purchase option worth around 25 to 30 million euros. However, according to Sky, no final decision has yet been made as to whether this option will be exercised. Internally, there are apparently still discussions as to whether Palhinha fits into the plans in the long term, both athletically and tactically

Will Palhinha return to FC Bayern?

Should Tottenham not make use of the purchase option, Palhinha would initially return to Munich, where he is still under contract until 2028. However, his time at FC Bayern was disappointing: in just 25 competitive matches, he collected around 1,000 minutes of action and was never able to make a lasting impression

The situation remains tricky from Munich’s point of view. Bayern are no longer planning with Palhinha and had hoped for a permanent sale to free up salary space and squad places. Whether Tottenham will take the next step or the Portuguese will become a transfer candidate again in the summer is currently completely open – despite his regular place and strong performances in the Premier League.