Fabrizio Romano reveals what Tottenham’s current stance is on signing Joao Palhinha permanently and whether we could see the deal completed earlier than expected.
Some signings are big gambles with high price tags and even higher potential returns. Others are so tried-and-tested to the point that you know exactly what you’re going to get.
In Palhinha’s case, it was very much the latter. Tottenham knew exactly what they were getting when they signed him on loan from Bayern Munich, and the midfielder has not disappointed at the slightest.
Palhinha is topping the Premier League charts for tackles per 90 minutes, which will come as no surprise to those who watched him during his Fulham days.
The Spurs midfielder has been hailed as an inspired signing by pundits, and now Fabrizio Romano has revealed what the North London club are thinking about activating their permanent option to sign the 31-year-old.
The chances of Joao Palhinha becoming a permanent Tottenham player
Reports over recent days have suggested that Tottenham are expected to take up the £26m option to sign Palhinha permanently.
Some outlets have even claimed that Spurs could start talks with Bayern over a deal for Palhinha in January rather than leaving it until the end of his loan spell next summer.
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Fabrizio Romano has now said that there is a ‘good chance’ of Tottenham Hotspur securing the Portugal international in a permanent deal, but warned it is still too early for the Lilywhites to consider starting talks with the Bundesliga giants.
When asked about Palhinha’s situation, the journalist told GiveMeSport: “I think there is a good chance of seeing Palhinha staying at Tottenham in 2026. Then let’s see if it’s going to be via the option, or maybe they want to re-negotiate with Bayern. It’s too early to say, still at the beginning of October, so many months to go before they make any decision.
“But internally, the feeling is very positive. Palhinha is happy at Tottenham, and Thomas Frank and Tottenham are also very happy with him. So it’s a very, very good deal for all parties involved. And now it’s going to be about the agreement with Bayern in 2026. Again, it’s still early, so let’s see how the season will go.
“But the start of this loan deal has been positive, and all parties are more than happy to continue together. So I would be quite optimistic on that one, but again it’s still a long season and we have to see what’s going to happen next.”
Palhinha is loving life at Spurs after a difficult time at Bayern Munich
Irrespective of what Tottenham are planning to do with the midfielder, it is clear that the player himself is loving life following his return to London.
Over recent days, Palhinha has said he did not get the chances he deserved at Bayern following his big-money move from Fulham in the summer of 2024.