Tottenham transfer news: January midfielder talks 'expected' as Spurs eye £27m no

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to open talks over the permanent signing of a £27m midfielder in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

The Europa League winners have kept a largely settled engine room from the 2024-25 season, along with the addition of Portugal international Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.

The former Fulham lynchpin immediately slotted into Thomas Frank's system and quickly endeared himself to the Spurs faithful, finding the net in their shock 2-0 Premier League victory over Manchester City at the Etihad.

Spurs have an option to make Palhinha's move permanent at the end of the season, and triggering that clause would pocket Bayern around £27m if reports are to be believed.

However, the Lilywhites seemingly do not want to wait so long to confirm Palhinha's permanent stay, as TBR Football - via GIVEMESPORT - claims that Tottenham plan to open talks over a deal in the January transfer window.

Tottenham to open permanent Palhinha talks in January?

Bayern would likely be receptive to early offers for the Portugal international, who struggled to settle at the Allianz Arena following his arrival from Fulham in the summer of 2024.

Palhinha joined Vincent Kompany's side after registering more tackles than any other player in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League seasons, convincing Bayern to pay £44.5m for his services.

However, the former Sporting Lisbon enforcer was restricted to just 25 appearances in his first season with FC Hollywood, failing to register a single goal or assist and only starting eight games across the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Injuries did not help Palhinha in his first season at Bayern Munich, but intense competition from Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Aleksandar Pavlovic also restricted the Portuguese's opportunities in the first XI.

However, Palhinha has already started five game for Tottenham since returning to the English capital, playing the full 90 in their 2-2 top-flight draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Why permanent Palhinha deal is no-brainer for Tottenham

There is perhaps an unfair consensus that players are either expendable or on the decline as soon as they hit 30, but there is plenty of football left in Palhinha's legs, and Spurs keeping him around is an absolute no-brainer.

The Portugal international took no time at all to adapt to Premier League football upon his arrival at Fulham, and the statistics tell the story of a player who is unmatched when it comes to tackling.

Even in spite of his lack of game time for Bayern, Palhinha has still averaged just over four tackles per game over the past 365 days, putting him in the top 1% of all midfielders in the big five European leagues.