Joao Palhinha set to join Sporting CP with Tottenham Hotspur not taking up €30 million option to sign him | OneFootball

Joao Palhinha has reached an agreement to join Sporting CP, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola.

The 30-year-old midfielder spent the season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur and was expected to stay with the club.

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi made it clear earlier this month that he ‘100 percent’ wants to keep Palhinha.

He joined Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich last summer with a €30million option to buy at the end of this season.

However, Palhinha has said ‘goodbye’ to Tottenham on social media.

He is in talks to join Sporting, and they are now looking to reach an agreement with Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga club want an outright sale, but Sporting would prefer a loan with an option to buy.

Negotiations have been ongoing in recent hours, and the player is willing to take a pay cut to return to his former club.

Tottenham will now have to look elsewhere as Palhinha has played his last game for them.

He made 45 appearances for the Lilywhites, bagging seven goals and three assists.

It is unclear why Tottenham have decided not to activate the option to buy him, but it appears he is not in their plans for the future as they prepare for a squad overhaul this summer.

Up to 16 players could leave Tottenham in the coming weeks after De Zerbi claimed only 12 players are good enough to stay beyond this summer.