Palhinha joins Tottenham on season-long loan

Tottenham have signed Joao Palhinha on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich.

The midfielder returns to the Premier League just one year after leaving Fulham, and Spurs have the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season for a reported £27m (€30.9m).

Palhinha joined Bayern on a four-year contract in July last year and won the Bundesliga with them in his first season.

However, he struggled for game time in Munich, starting just nine of the 24 games he played in all competitions.

In his final season at Fulham, Palhinha made the most tackles in the Premier League (152), winning 75 of those, while his 425 duels, of which he won 259, were team highs.

The 30-year-old has also made 34 appearances for Portugal and was part of the squad that won the Nations League back in June.

He becomes Spurs’sixth signing of the window, following Mohammed Kudus, Luka Vuskovic, Kota Takai, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso.

Palhinha could make his competitive debut in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain on August 13, with Spurs opening their Premier League season against Burnley three days later.