Joao Palhinha was on loan at Tottenham Hotspur last season, and he did quite well with the London club.

There were expectations that they would sign him permanently this summer. They had the option to make the move permanent for a fee of around €30-35 million.

However, Tottenham have decided against it. They have already invested heavily in Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. They no longer need to sign the Portuguese International, and the player is now seeking a move elsewhere.

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Spurs will not sign Joao Palhinha

Falk has revealed to CFBayernInsider: “It is true, talks with Tottenham over signing João Palhinha are 100% dead in the water. Palhinha would also be keen to return to his native Portugal. Sporting Lisbon are keen on him, but the problem is that Bayern want to make another sale, while the former wish to secure a loan deal for the holding midfielder with a buy-option attached after a year.

“Bayern are firm: they want the money now. They had calculated that they would get €30-35m if Tottenham had triggered his buy clause. Spurs won’t do that now, so Bayern want to get this money elsewhere. So, a loan wouldn’t be the perfect solution for the club, which is why this is going to take some time.”

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Palhinha heading to Portugal?

Palhinha has been linked with a move to his former club, Sporting CP. He needs to play regularly at this stage of his career, and moving back to Portugal would be ideal for him. Tottenham are already well stocked in the middle of the park now, and it makes sense for them to walk away from the move to sign the Portuguese International.

Tottenham should focus on improving the attacking unit now before the window closes. They need a quality winger and a striker.