Tottenham green light to sign powerful Bayern Munich star as journalist confirms talks

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to accelerate talks to sign Joao Palhinha after journalist Christian Falk revealed the extraordinary losses that Bayern Munich are willing to take to help facilitate the move, while a Chelsea man has been sounded out as a replacement.

Spurs are gearing up for a new era in N17 after bringing in Thomas Frank as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, who could not keep his job despite ending the club’s long 17-year wait to win a major trophy. Having quickly settled into his new surroundings, the Tottenham manager has very quickly identified the areas he needs to improve on this summer to help propel the club back up the Premier League table.

Indeed, one of their biggest issues last season was a lack of physicality in midfield, with Spurs often out-muscled by Premier League rivals there last season as they slipped to a woeful 17th-placed finish.

And now, according to multiple reports, Frank has looked to find an instant fix to that and has been given strong encouragement from Bayern Munich that a deal is there to be done for Palhinha after just one season at the Allianz Arena.

One of the hardest-working and physical players in the Premier League, the Portuguese’s fine form at Fulham saw him secure a £48m (€55m, $64.4m) move to Bayern last summer after a 12-month chase.

However, the transfer has not worked out as expected and, just a year into his four-year deal, Bayern Munich are ready to cut their losses on a player, who failed to impress boss Vincent Kompany.

A report on TBR Football this week claimed Spurs have now held a fresh round of talks with the 30-year-old over a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

And, after being encouraged by the player, Frank and Co have now been given strong belief that a deal is there to be done with Bayern also giving them a significant green light.

As per Bild journalist Christian Falk, Bayern are more than happy to facilitate his sale – and better yet, their asking price has been rapidly dropping.

“So there’s still the possibility of selling him this summer. The price is going down and down – €25m [£21.6m], perhaps €30m [£25.9m], but that’s it. Bayern Munich want to sell him. If he leaves, it’s also a chance for the club to go for Renato Veiga,” Falk told Bild.

DON’T MISS ➡️ The electric Tottenham XI under Thomas Frank with FOUR new signings

Palhinha admits to Bayern Munich struggles

Given there are similarities between the Premier League and the Bundesliga, it is perhaps surprising that the 34-times capped Portugal international has failed to settle in Bavaria.

While he did finish the season with a Bundesliga winners medal – the second league title he has won after a previous success with Sporting CP in 2020/21 – Palhinha was limited to just 25 competitive appearances; just nine of which were starts.

Indeed, Kompany has tended to use the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović and Leon Goretzka in his central roles, while a muscular injury that sidelined the Portuguese for 11 games in the autumn did not help his cause.

Speaking at the recent Club World Cup, Palhinha says he hopes to use the dawning of a new season as the opportunity to start afresh at Bayern.

“Obviously, it hasn’t been an easy year for me, but I’m also very motivated to – as soon as the season starts – prove my worth once again, at a very special club like Bayern, a huge club,” the midfielder told Portuguese outlet Sport TV.

And when asked about his future, he added: “I have a contract with Bayern for another three years, so I’ll report back on the 29 [July], which is when we start pre-season.

“Enjoying these vacation days with family and friends is the most important thing right now.”

Tottenham transfer latest: Spurs to hijack PSG move; Gibbs-White deadline

Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly plotting a blockbuster move for a quality Premier League defender, who remains a key target for Paris Saint-Germain.

As for the Morgan Gibbs-White pursuit, the player is understood to want his switch to Tottenham Hotspur finalised quickly, despite Nottingham Forest’s legal challenge against the London club, while Fabrizio Romano has dropped a telling update.

Elsewhere, a £50m-rated Premier League forward wants to play for Frank, though reports claim Tottenham have left the door wide open for a rival to pounce.

Where Palhinha fits in at Tottenham?

A fully fit Palhinha walks into Frank’s first XI and would provide the sort of protection that Tottenham’s backline has been calling out for since the days of Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama.

He is a yellow card magnet, as was highlighted by 27 bookings in 68 Premier League during his time with the Cottagers, but he is the sort of player that the Spurs midfield has been crying out for.

Frank is a massive fan of Archie Gray, having tried to sign the England Under-21 star from Leeds for Brentford before Tottenham swooped, but there remains a concern that he is currently too lightweight to play in that role and is better filling in at right-back and in central defence when required.

New Tottenham boss Frank has identified the holding midfield position as one that needs an upgrade, hence the interest in Palhinha, after a pre-agreed deal to sign Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso fell through.

In terms of the fee Bayern are asking for the former Fulham man, it’s rumoured to be in the region of £30m, although his salary demands could create an issue.

However, with Tottenham now mobilising towards his signing, it certainly is a deal that ticks a lot of boxes and more so, with Palhinha seemingly on the market.

Should he actually sign, it would represent almost a complete revamp of Tottenham’s midfield – although it could be argued that one was needed.