Tottenham have signed Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha on a season-long loan deal.
The 30-year-old, who joined the German side from Fulham in 2024, was limited to just 17 Bundesliga appearances last season.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank was keen to sign a defensive-minded midfielder following his appointment, with question marks over the futures of Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Tottenham also have the option of signing Palhinha on a permanent basis at the end of his loan.
The Portugal international has significant Premier League experience, making 68 top-flight appearances in two years at Fulham before his move to Bayern for £42.3m.
Palhinha comfortably topped the rankings for tackles with a total of 300 during his previous stint in the English top-flight – 109 more than any other player – and ranked sixth for interceptions (92).
His combative style of play, however, does carry risks having received 27 yellow cards across 2022-23 and 2023-24 – at least five more than anyone else.
Palhinha becomes Spurs’ third summer signing, following the £55m acquisition of Mohammed Kudus and French forward Mathys Tel’s arrival from Bayern on a permanent basis after a loan spell.
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