Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2025 Tottenham Hotspur's Joao Palhinha celebrates after the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..
Tottenham are interested in triggering the €25–30 million buy option for midfielder Joao Palhinha. The Brazilian signed for Tottenham this summer on loan from Bayern Munich, and has become a key man for new Spurs boss Thomas Frank.
Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has reported that while no concrete talks have yet taken place between Tottenham and Bayern, a return to Germany looks unlikely for the player and Spurs would be keen to keep him beyond this season.
Thomas Frank is believed to be the driving force behind the move, having been left impressed by the midfielder. The two have formed an excellent relationship, and Palhinha seems to have rediscovered his best form following a difficult spell in Germany.
He joined Bayern for £47m from Fulham in 2024, but struggled to break into Vincent Kompany’s side. He looked a frustrated figure for much of his single season at the club, only managing 17 Bundesliga appearances.
Just one year later, he joined Tottenham on loan in August of this summer and has been a mainstay under Thomas Frank. He started six out of Tottenham’s seven Premier League games so far, scoring two goals.
Tottenham keen on permanent Palhinha deal
The Portugal international is understood to be happy in London following his stint with Fulham and is reportedly open to continuing with Tottenham. He named Frank as the main reason for joining the club to begin with, saying to Spurs official website in August that he didn’t need to think about the decision too much.
“The coach is probably the main thing which had more of an impact on my decision” he said. “When you feel that someone wants you, it means a lot and you are closer to making an easy decision.”
“I will try to help to show again what I am capable to do it. Now my home is here (in London) and I will try to enjoy these moments with my family.”
Spurs and Bayern are on good terms after deals for Harry Kane, Eric Dier, and Mathys Tel in recent seasons. The loan deal for Palhinha includes a non-obligatory purchase option, so any future negotiations are expected to be fairly straightforward.
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