There has been a flurry of transfer activity at Bayern Munich this week as players report to training at Sabner Strasse. The Bavarian club reached an agreement with Liverpool to sign Luis Diaz, while Bryan Zaragoza sealed a loan move to Celta Vigo.
The Bundesliga champions have also sorted the future of João Palhinha. The Portuguese midfielder is set to spend next season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur. The Europa League winners have agreed to pay a loan fee and cover the entire salary of the Portuguese midfielder. Spurs also have an option to buy him for €30 million next summer.
Palhinha underwent his medical to complete the transfer on Friday. There is just a formal announcement left from both clubs. Spurs have been consistently linked with Palhinha throughout the summer transfer window.
The 30-year-old midfielder has consistently insisted that he wants to stay at Bayern and fight for a place in the team. However, reports in Germany have suggested that the Bundesliga champions wanted to part ways with him. They would have ideally liked a permanent transfer, but a loan deal also helps in trimming the wage bill for next season.
🚨 Joao Palhinha undergoing medical in Germany today ahead of joining Tottenham Hotspur from Bayern Munich. Deal for 30yo #FCBayern midfielder season-long loan + option to buy next summer at €30m. #THFC to cover full wages of Portugal int’l @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/snLkt8ndJJ
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 1, 2025
The signing of Palhinha will go down as a poor deal for Bayern. They first tried to sign him on the summer deadline day of 2023, only to see the move collapse in the final hour. Thomas Tuchel was keen on signing the Portuguese international to shore up the midfield. Tuchel left the club at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, but Bayern went ahead and completed a deal in excess of €50 million for Palhinha in the last summer transfer window.
Palhinha was expected to go straight into the starting XI, but he struggled to get adequate playing time under Vincent Kompany. The Portuguese midfielder also struggled to impose himself in the limited opportunities he got under the Belgian coach. Speculation around his future started during the final two months of the season as he couldn’t get a run of starts for Bayern. The big share of blame should lie on the club chiefs for the failure of Palhinha signing.
From Palhinha’s point of view, he would be disappointed to leave Bavaria. The Portuguese has consistently insisted that joining Bayern was a dream move for him. He couldn’t showcase his talent in the Bavarian colours consistently. A return to the Premier League will help Palhinha to get his confidence back.
Bayern Munich will not sign a replacement for Palhinha
The Bundesliga Champions will not dip into the transfer market to sign a replacement of Palhinha. They have already strengthened the midfield this summer by signing Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim on a free transfer. The youngster is expected to get adequate playing time at Bayern this season.
Bayern will continue to focus on strengthening the attack for the rest of the transfer window. They are looking to sign one more forward due to Jamal Musiala’s serious injury. VfB Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade remains their top target for the second signing in the attack this summer.