Bayern transfer flop Palhinha is suddenly in high demand | OneFootball

The future of Joao Palhinha remains open. While Tottenham Hotspur have not yet made a final decision, two Portuguese top clubs are now said to be interested in the FC Bayern midfielder

According to Portuguese transfer expert Pedro Sousa, both Benfica Lisbon and Sporting CP are interested in Joao Palhinha

According to Sousa, a return to Sporting is an „absolute priority“ and the long-established Portuguese club is working intensively on bringing the 30-year-old back

Benfica are also said to have already gathered information on a possible summer transfer

Interestingly, according to Sousa, Palhinha himself could well imagine a return to Portugal. The midfielder’s private life is also an important factor here, as he wants to live closer to his children

Tottenham future still unclear

photo: Getty Images

Palhinha is currently still on loan from FC Bayern to Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs paid a loan fee of five million euros last summer and also secured a purchase option worth 25 million euros

Palhinha’s season in London was a mixed bag, however. Initially, he was one of the most consistent players in the team and was even a regular at times. With Spurs‘ sporting slump, however, the Portuguese lost his place in the team and increasingly became a rotation player

It is therefore unclear what will happen in the summer. New coach Robert De Zebri has recently publicly emphasized that he would like to keep Palhinha permanently. Spurs, on the other hand, are struggling with the fixed transfer fee and would like to reduce it

Palhinha no longer has any prospects at FC Bayern. The six-man was signed from Fulham FC for around €51 million in 2024 at the request of Thomas Tuchel. However, Tuchel was forced to leave the club shortly after his arrival

Palhinha then only played a minor role under Vincent Kompany

Sporting director Christoph Freund had already indicated recently that the situation was complicated. „It is of course a difficult situation at his club in general. But Joao is a fighter,“ explained Freund

Whether the Spurs pull out their purchase option or whether Palhinha decides to return to Portugal instead is likely to be decided in the coming weeks.