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Joao Palhinha reportedly wants to stay with Tottenham Hotspur after the end of the season rather than returning to Bayern Munich.Â
The Portuguese midfielder moved to Spurs on loan from Bayern during the summer window, with the north London club having the option to sign him permanently for £27m.Â
Palhinha has made a strong impact already since returning to the Premier League, and Spurs are reportedly expected to open talks over his permanent signing in the summer transfer window.Â
Transfer expert Ben Jacobs has suggested that the former Fulham midfielder is keen to remain in the Premier League, and he would be very happy if Spurs decide to take up the option of signing him permanently.Â
Palhinha's time at Bayern is as good as overÂ
After emerging as a standout performer for the Cottagers, Bayern signed him in 2024 for a fee of £43.1m, following an initial attempt to secure his services a year earlier.Â
Palhinha featured 17 times in the Bundesliga for Bayern, making only five starts. Clearly, the move did not work out for him, as Vincent Kompany preferred the technical qualities of Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic over the former Sporting CP midfielder.Â
Injuries prevented him from becoming a regular, but most importantly, Kompany was not impressed by his perceived lack of invention and quality on the ball.Â
The 30-year-old was voted the leagueâs most disappointing player by 216 of his Bundesliga peers, and by sanctioning a loan deal to Spurs, the Bavarian giants made their intention very clear -- his time at the Allianz Arena is as good as over.Â
Tottenham must sign Palhinha permanently next summerÂ
Palhinha probably would not have survived had Ange Postecoglou remained in charge because of his cavalier approach. However, he has proved to be a perfect fit in Thomas Frank's system, where defensive structure is prioritised.Â
The midfielder produced one of his best performances of his career against Manchester City away from home, and it became very clear that he would be a key player for Spurs this season.Â
Frank may not need him during some of the home games against relatively weaker opposition, but he would definitely be required in all those matches where Spurs need to control possession and build attacks with patience.
There is plenty of football left in Palhinha's legs, and paying £27m to retain his services is an absolute no-brainer.Â