Tottenham is picking up Bayern’s cast-off: Palinha officially joins North London

Joao Palhinha was excellent for Fulham two seasons ago and rightly earned a big move to Bayern Munich. The Portuguese midfielder struggled to adapt at Allianz Arena, but in England it’s well understood that this was due to an unsuitable system, not a lack of quality. Tottenham has made a significant midfield reinforcement by officially signing Palhinha on loan from Bayern, with an option to buy at the end of the season. Spurs will pay 5 million for the one-year loan and cover his full gross salary of about 10 million. The contract includes a purchase option next summer for an additional 31 million.

At 30, Palhinha returns to the Premier League just one year after leaving Fulham for Munich in a 51 million transfer. Although he arrived at Bayern as a projected midfield pillar, last season was anything but stable.

He made only 25 appearances, often from the bench, and played just one half in five matches at the recent Club World Cup in the USA. The Munich giant, who signed him until 2028 last summer, now faces a major sporting and financial loss. Palhinha never found his ideal role at Allianz Arena, so the move to Tottenham is a logical attempt to regain form and consistency in a league and club he already knows.

During his time at Fulham, Palhinha made a strong impression as one of the league’s best defensive midfielders. His return to the Premier League comes as Tottenham, after a disappointing domestic season but with a Europa League title in hand, prepares for a new campaign with much higher ambitions.

Competing in the Champions League demands a deeper and more solid squad rotation, and Palhinha is expected to provide experience, strength, and balance in midfield.

The London club has already been active this summer: Mohamed Kudus, Mathys Tel (also from Bayern), Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic, and Kota Takai have joined, with a total spend around 145 million. Still, the key moves seem to be ahead. Bringing in a player of Palhinha’s profile signals serious intent, adding experience and quality to positions that were often improvised last season.

Interestingly, Palhinha could make his debut for Tottenham against his now former employer — Spurs travel to Munich on Thursday for a friendly match against Bayern, adding extra significance to this transfer.

If Tottenham aim for stability and success on multiple fronts, Palhinha could be a crucial piece of that puzzle. Returning to the league where he’s already proven his worth may be exactly what he needs to restore the status that was seriously shaken last season.