Tottenham have been dealt a big blow to their summer transfer plans.
Tottenham Hotspur fought off relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season with a 1-0 win over Everton at home. New head coach Roberto De Zerbi did what was asked of him and kept the club in the Premier League.
Now attention has turned to the summer transfer window, with Roberto De Zerbi requiring investment from the owners to strengthen a squad that lacks quality and was ravaged by injuries. Plans are already underway to improve the Italian tactician’s squad, with agreements in place to sign Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth and Andy Robertson from Liverpool following the expiration of their contracts.
However, the North London club’s summer planning has taken an early hit, with one of De Zerbi’s trusted members inching closer towards an exit.
Joao Palhinha reaches agreement with Sporting CP
According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Joao Palhinha has agreed terms over a return to Sporting CP. The Lions still need to negotiate a deal with Bayern Munich, and that remains the crucial part of the process, particularly as they are understood to prefer a loan move with an option to buy.
Joao Palhinha played a significant role in Tottenham’s survival push. The defensive midfielder proved to be a crucial figure in their desperate fight against relegation, battling through a chaotic environment to record seven goals and two assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
He scored against Wolves at Molineux to help Spurs register their first Premier League win of 2026 in April, before netting the monumental winner over Everton on the final day of the season that clinched safety last weekend.
Tottenham hold the option to turn Palhinha’s loan from Bayern Munich into a permanent deal, with De Zerbi previously admitting that he wants to keep the Portugal international at the club. The 30-year-old is also open to staying at White Hart Lane, but with the North Londoners hesitant about triggering the €30 million clause, it has allowed Sporting CP to enter the race to take him back to Lisbon. And the Portuguese giants have now agreed personal terms with him.
The report adds Palhinha has agreed to take a significant pay cut to facilitate the return to the José Alvalade Stadium, though both clubs are currently negotiating the structure of the deal, with Bayern preferring an outright sale, as he is not in Vincent Kompany’s plans.
The midfielder’s willingness to take a pay cut is viewed as an extremely important gesture, one which demonstrates where he has set his heart. Plus, the emotional pull of Sporting, where he made his name in European football, and the wish to be closer to his family in Portugal have perhaps made Palhinha push for the deal.
Big setback for Spurs!
While Palhinha isn’t one of the glamorous names around, he demonstrated his quality and proved his worth at the back end of the season with match-winning performances on the pitch. The Portuguese’s experience and leadership qualities very much came in handy for De Zerbi, who was desperately looking for personalities to stand up and deliver the goods during the club’s toughest times.
So, for De Zerbi to enter the new season potentially without Palhinha, having openly admitted that he wants him to stay at the club, would be a hammer blow to the club’s plans for the summer transfer window. Tottenham now need clarity. If the Portuguese international, who missed out on a place in the World Cup squad, is departing, our recruitment department must move quickly and decisively in the transfer market to identify an adequate replacement.