Tottenham Hotspur are the latest Premier League side eyeing a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha, according to The Athletic.
Spurs are considering a move for the former Fulham ace. They see him as a potential key addition ahead of their return to Champions League football next season.
The 30-year-old made a name for himself at Fulham. He made 79 appearances for the Cottagers across all competitions before securing a big-money move to Bayern last summer.
The Bundesliga champions paid £44 million to take him away from Craven Cottage after a dramatic failed transfer to the German side the year before.
Despite finally getting his dream move, the switch to Bavaria hasn’t worked out well for Palhinha.
The Portugal international has failed to win over Vincent Kompany, leaving his future at the Allianz Arena in doubt just a year into his long-term contract set to run until 2028.
Bayern have made Palhinha available for a transfer this summer, and Spurs are interested. However, the north Londoners will only act on their interest if Bayern are open to a loan move.
The experienced defensive midfielder fits the mould of a commanding no. 6 that would thrive under Thomas Frank, with the manager looking to bolster his options in midfield.
A permanent move is unlikely
Unless Tottenham shift their stance later on in the window, a permanent move for Palhinha is off the table at the moment.
Despite spending two years at Fulham, Tottenham would like to bring him back to England on loan to see if he can rediscover the Premier League form that made him a fan favourite at Craven Cottage.
Palhinha was linked with a move to Arsenal earlier in the summer. But the Gunners have since signed Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Christian Norgaard from Brentford.
That paves the way for Spurs to swoop in, but it remains to be seen if they’ll act on their interest.
Palhinha made 152 tackles last term, winning 75, surpassing his 148 tackles in his 2022/23 debut campaign. In both seasons, he recorded the most tackles in the Premier League.