Joao Palhinha fires sly dig at Bayern Munich as Tottenham line up permanent move
Joao Palhinha has made his feelings extremely clear as the midfielder goes from strength to strength at Tottenham this season.
Tottenham are already considering signing Palhinha permanently, seeing him return to the Premier League after just a single season in the Bundesliga, where he has found life extremely difficult.
Rodrigo Bentancur has just put pen to paper on a brand new contract in North London, so that could mean the end for Yves Bissouma, who has fallen dramatically down the pecking order.
In 11 appearances so far, the Portuguese international already has three goals to his name, has been instrumental in the middle of the park, and continues to surprise fans with his talents.
Now, he has sent a clear message back to his parent club.
Joao Palhinha thanks Tottenham for a second chance
The loanee has kept his head down since arriving in North London, but with football entering an international break, it appears he has had time to reflect on his current situation.
With Fabrizio Romano sharing the player’s quotes on X (7 October), Palhinha said: “I’m happy at Spurs, I’m enjoying my time. At Tottenham, I’ve had chances I didn’t have before.
“I feel complete confidence in the people who wanted me to join the club. In this case, the manager Thomas Frank,” aiming a clear dig at those back in Germany, where he made just six league starts last season.
The 30-year-old left Fulham for the Bundesliga in the summer of 2024, but since that move, he has made just 25 appearances for Bayern across all competitions. Frustrating.
What has Thomas Frank said about Palhinha?
Asked if he was surprised that Bayern let the player leave this summer [Football London], Frank said: “Yeah, I was a bit surprised. Bayern went hard for him for two years, and for whatever reason, which I actually don’t care about because we can get him, it was an opportunity for us.”
The player has made an instant impact in North London, starting six of the club’s seven Premier League games so far, and playing an instrumental role in Spurs’ shock win over Man City.
He appears to have rediscovered his previous form from when he used to feature for the Cottagers, but even better, much to the joy of Spurs fans who were uncertain about his arrival.
Now, they might even get to see him next season if the club pull the trigger on a permanent deal.