Joao Palhinha wants to join Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent basis and described his relationship with the club as “like a marriage”.
Palhinha joined Spurs on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich in August and the deal included an option to make the move permanent for €30million (£25.9m). The Portugal international made 45 appearances in all competitions for Spurs this season and scored seven goals. Palhinha’s first-half strike against Everton on Sunday helped Spurs to secure victory and avoid relegation by finishing two points above 18th-placed West Ham United.
Bayern signed Palhinha from Fulham in July 2024 for €51m. He made 25 appearances in his only season with the German side. He played 17 times in the Bundesliga but only started six games for a total of 667 minutes.
Palhinha, who has been left out of Portugal’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, was an important player for Spurs under three different head coaches this season. The midfielder made 33 appearances in the Premier League, the third-highest in the squad behind Micky van de Ven (35) and Pedro Porro (34). He started the last four games under Roberto De Zerbi.
After Spurs beat Everton on the final day of the season, the 30-year-old spoke to reporters including The Athletic about his future.
“Since the first day I arrived, I feel at home,” Palhinha said. “From the supporters, the crowd. Top club. Who doesn’t want to play for Tottenham and stay here? I have everything here.
“But this is like a marriage. What I can say to you is I would really like to be here and I enjoy it a lot this season with this club even being a tough season.”
De Zerbi said after the Everton game that he “would like to keep (Palhinha) 100 per cent.”
Spurs finished 17th for the second season in a row. They were eliminated from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in the third and fourth rounds respectively. Spurs finished in the top eight of the league phase in the Champions League but were eliminated in the round of 16 after losing 7-5 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid. Palhinha is confident Spurs’ performances will improve.
“I think the next season will hopefully be really different and I truly believe,” Palhinha said. “I think this season will help Tottenham for the future. Analyse the season, what we did wrong, what we did well and I think it’s a big improvement and a big relief after the season.”