The future of João Palhinha remains one of the unresolved issues at FC Bayern – and current developments in England clearly point in one direction. It is becoming increasingly unlikely that the defensive midfielder will stay at Tottenham Hotspur permanently
The Portuguese is currently only on loan to Spurs from Munich, who have secured a purchase option worth 22 million pounds , but as TEAMtalk reports, there are increasing signs that Tottenham will not take up this option in the summer
One of the main reasons for this is the 30-year-old’s sporting role under new coach Roberto De Zerbi. Although Palhinha has attracted attention with important goals – including against Wolverhampton and Manchester City – he has not yet played a central role in the Italian’s system
De Zerbi relies on other options
Tottenham insider John Wenham therefore sees little scope for a permanent signing. „I can’t see it happening as we are hopefully building a long-term future with De Zerbi and he hasn’t used him from the start yet,“ Wenham told Tottenham News
Instead, the Spurs coach relies on other players such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield – a clear hierarchy in which Palhinha currently only plays a supporting role
Wenham is correspondingly skeptical about the latest speculation: „It seems surprising and probably just talk from agents or intermediaries.“ For the Bayern loanee, this is a clear signal – despite his strong performances at times
Return to Munich without prospects?
Should Tottenham actually refrain from making a permanent signing, Palhinha would return to FC Bayern in the summer. But even there, his sporting future is anything but secure
Munich’s central midfield already boasts a high-calibre line-up, with Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic as established players and David Santos Daiber another promising profile. Tom Bischof is also set to receive more playing time in this position in the future
For Palhinha, the return could therefore quickly become a new challenge – possibly even a stopover before the next transfer
One thing is clear: the 30-year-old finds himself in a complicated situation. Neither in London nor in Munich does a clear perspective appear to be discernible at present. The coming weeks are likely to be decisive in determining where the Portuguese international’s path leads.