Joao Palhinha has confirmed that he won't be a Tottenham Hotspur player next season following a big U-turn by manager Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham have been the busiest Premier League club by far in the summer transfer window, with Sandro Tonali set to become their sixth addition imminently after Spurs agreed a club-record £100m fee with Newcastle United for the Italy international.
The 26-year-old follows fellow midfielder Mateus Fernandes through the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has meant that De Zerbi has had to backtrack on his previous comments.
The Italian boss had previously said that Palhinha was someone he '100%' wanted to sign this summer, after the Portugal international played a huge part in the club's survival last season.
Palhinha scored two crucial goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton during the run-in, and while Tottenham didn't take up the option they had to sign him on a permanent basis, it was expected that they would try and renegotiate the terms.
However, the north Londoners have now turned their back on a deal for the Bayern Munich star, having landed both Fernandes and Tonali for their midfield in big-money deals.
Palhinha Says 'Goodbye' to Tottenham Fans on Social Media
Following news that Spurs had won the race to sign Fernandes and Tonali, rumours began that a Tottenham deal for Palhinha was now likely dead.
On Friday lunchtime, that was confirmed by the player himself on his Instagram account, as he said 'goodbye' in a heartfelt message to the club and fans.
While the 30-year-old clearly offers the experience De Zerbi craves, he has chosen to go down a different and more ambitious path following the additions of Tonali and Fernandes, who could be the club's midfield partnership for years.
It was previously reported that Palhinha could return to his homeland and sign for Sporting Lisbon if he didn't join Tottenham.
Palhinha Had Rollercoaster Tottenham Loan
Palinha went from hero to zero and back to hero during a rollercoaster season-long loan spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Expectations were high when the Portugal international arrived at Spurs from Bayern Munich, having previously been one of the best in the Premier League in his position when he played for Fulham.
The 30-year-old started well and looked like the established Premier League player everyone thought he was, but he quickly came under scrutiny for the partnership between him and Rodrigo Bentancur not providing enough support for the defence, or much from an attacking sense either.
Palhinha found himself on the bench more during the mid-part of the season and during Igor Tudor's short reign, before his game-changing moment when he scored the winner against Wolves off the bench in April.
It was De Zerbi's first win in charge and the club's first Premier League win since December, and Palhinha came a mainstay of the XI in the coming weeks as Tottenham built momentum and preserved their top flight status.