Tottenham confirm Joao Palhinha loan signing from Bayern Munich with £26m buy option as ex-Fulham midfielder returns to Premier League after just one season

Spurs have secured the services of the former Fulham midfielder for the 2025-26 campaign, plus they have an option to sign the 30-year-old permanently next summer for a reported £26m ($34.5m). The Portugal international is back in the Premier League after just one full season on Bayern's books.

Bayern board member for sport, Max Eberl, said they have found the "best solution" for Palhinha after not getting as much game time as he would have wanted last term.

He told the club's website: "João Palhinha, unfortunately, didn’t get the game time he hoped for at FC Bayern last season. We’ve found the best solution for all sides with Tottenham Hotspur. João can have a whole season at top European level there. We wish him all the best for the year ahead."

Palhinha joined Bayern just over a year ago for a fee worth up to £47.4m ($63m) but the experienced midfielder is back in the Premier League after failing to make his mark at the Bundesliga outfit. He made 25 appearances in all competitions last season but just 10 of those were starts as he struggled to tie down a regular spot in Vincent Kompany's side. Despite that, he is still a quality operator and should add more solidity to Spurs' midfield.

The former Sporting CP man could even face his parent club Bayern when Tottenham take on the Bavarian outfit in a pre-season friendly at the Allianz Arena on Thursday. This fixture will also see Spurs icon Harry Kane and summer signing Mathys Tel cross paths again.