tottenham Joao Palinha may be out of the running. However, this does not mean that the saga is close to ending.
The Portugal international spent the season on loan at Spurs and played a big role in the club's Premier League survival. However, report from portugal It was suggested at the weekend that Tottenham would not activate their €30m (£25.8m) option to purchase him from Bayern Munich.
For weeks discussion focused on whether Tottenham would keep Palhinha and whether the midfielder would push for a return to Sporting.
Now it seems that the answer to the first question has been found. But the second has hardly changed.
Recent reports have consistently indicated that Pelhinha wants to return to Lisbon. Plus, Sporting are acting like they 100% expect him to come... The only problem is Bayern Munich.
Sporting already has big plans
according to morning mailSporting are prepared to go much further than simply giving Palhinha a way home.
The newspaper claims the club are prepared to make him the highest-paid player in the squad if they can secure a deal.
Sporting are also reportedly willing to hand him the captain's armband, with Morten Hjulmand expected to leave this summer. And that tells you everything about how Palahinha is viewed internally.
It appears that the club is preparing a central role for him in the next sporting project.
However, the issue of pay remains complex. As explained in detail earlierPalhinha currently earns around €9m (£7.6m) per year, which is far more than Sporting's normal salary structure.
Nevertheless, multiple Portuguese reports state that the midfielder is willing to make a significant sacrifice to return. Correiro da Manha now suggests Sporting are ready to push their limits financially too.
Bayern is now the main obstacle
game Draw an absolutely identical picture. The newspaper described Palhinha as Sporting's last wish. He will complete their midfield rebuild following the moves of Issa Doumbia, Pedro Lima and Silas Anderson.
The expectation is that the former Tottenham loanee will arrive as Hjulmand's successor and slot straight into Rui Borges' starting eleven. The problem is that Bayern still holds all the cards.
The German club paid around €50m (£43m) to sign Pelhinha from Fulham in 2024 and are unlikely to say goodbye without recouping as much value as possible.
Sporting's preferred solution remains a loan with the option – or obligation – to buy. The hard part now is to find a formula that works for Bayern.
Either way, as things stand, the Tottenham chapter looks to be coming to a close. Now the entire discussion is about whether Bayern can be persuaded to play along.
