Credit: Imago

Max Wilkins

Fri 24 April 2026 8:00, UK

Joao Palhinha has now been linked with a permanent switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Portugal international joined the Lilywhites in the summer as he agreed a season-long loan switch to North London.

He was a highly anticipated signing, given his excellent spell in the Premier League with Fulham between 2022 and 2024.

Things haven’t quite worked as hoped at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he has struggled to truly make his presence felt in N17.

Tottenham still want Palhinha permanently, as we now look into his contract details ahead of fresh talks with Bayern Munich.

Tottenham want to trigger Joao Palhinha buy option

The 30-year-old has received plenty of mixed reviews throughout the season, but has failed to truly improve Spurs.

He has seen plenty of his performances come off the bench in recent weeks, and that can’t come as a surprise in North London.

The Portuguese midfielder has made 40 appearances while on loan, and that appears to have sparked a desire to keep hold of him.

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has now reported that Spurs are happy with Palhinha and “can imagine” triggering his option to buy.

That will only happen if they can renegotiate with Bayern Munich, as the original £26million deal from the summer is seen as too high a price now.

If the Bundesliga giants don’t lower that fee, a deal is unlikely, but they do remain open to letting the defensive midfielder go.

Palhinha has struggled to prove himself at Tottenham, but could still sign a permanent deal when the summer transfer window opens.

What is Palhinha’s contract situation at Bayern Munich?

The former Sporting CP man completed a move to the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2024 for a fee in the region of £48m.

As part of that deal, he put pen to paper on a four-year deal that secures his future in Bavaria until 2028, although an exit is seemingly on the cards.

He is reportedly paid £135,000 per week with Bayern, equating to a yearly salary in the region of £7m in the Bundesliga.

That is a sizable amount, and after a difficult run since his move to Germany, a permanent switch away would make sense for them.

They will now wait on Tottenham to see if they are willing to agree a permanent deal, provided that it comes in at a lower fee.