Tottenham have decided not to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent deal | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur will not be signing defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich.

The 30-year-old spent the 2025–26 season on loan in North London, establishing himself as a key leader. He finished the campaign as Tottenham’s second-highest scorer with seven goals in 45 appearances across all competitions, most notably netting the winner in a 1–0 victory over Everton on the final day to secure a miraculous 17th-place finish and preserve Spurs’ top-flight status.

Despite Roberto De Zerbi publicly praising Palhinha’s character and expressing a desire to keep him, financial realities and a major squad overhaul have forced a change of heart.

While Palhinha was keen to remain in the Premier League, Tottenham have opted against a move for the Portuguese international after recently completing an astronomical £185 million double to land alternative midfield targets.

Spurs announced the arrival of 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes for £85 million earlier today and are expected to finalise a £100 million deal for Sandro Tonali as well.

With these arrivals pushing summer spending past the £200 million mark, committing further funds to an ageing midfielder is no longer considered sustainable.

Tottenham have instead turned their attention to attacking targets, with French starlet Eli Junior Kroupi now the priority.

For Palhinha, the future remains highly uncertain. A return to Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich is off the table, as the German giants have deemed him surplus to requirements.

While a return to his former club, Sporting Lisbon, remains possible, the Liga NOS side are heavily constrained by Bayern’s steep valuation and the player’s significant salary demands.