Tottenham transfer news: Joao Palhinha 'talks' begin as loan, permanent deal preference revealed

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly entered talks with Bayern Munich over a deal to bring Joao Palhinha back to the Premier League on loan.

The Lilywhites bested North London rivals Arsenal 1-0 in a friendly in Hong Kong on Thursday, as Pape Sarr scored the only goal of the game with a fabulous long-range effort.

The Senegalese midfielder lobbed David Raya from close to the halfway line after Arsenal lost possession, and Thomas Frank's determined defence comfortably kept the Gunners at bay in the second 45.

Sarr also netted twice in a recent 2-2 draw with Wycombe Wanderers, but while the former Metz man has already made a positive impression under Frank, Spurs are facing midfield uncertainty elsewhere.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma have both entered the final 12 months of their contracts; the former could be in line for an extension, but Tottenham should be open to letting the latter leave for the right price.

Spurs 'favour' Palhinha loan transfer over permanent deal for Bayern man

Frank can also use the versatile Archie Gray in a deeper midfield role, but the Europa League winners will be expected to sign a replacement for Bissouma should the Mali international head elsewhere.

According to The Athletic, Spurs and Bayern are now in direct contact over a temporary move for Palhinha, who has struggled to settle at the Allianz Arena since leaving Fulham for the Bundesliga champions last summer.

The 30-year-old made 25 appearances for Vincent Kompany's side in his debut season, but he started just six Bundesliga games and two Champions League matches owing to a combination of injuries and competition for places.

Palhinha is contracted to Bayern for another three seasons, though, and Tottenham are said to favour a loan deal over a permanent move for the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder, whom the German champions paid £44.1m for last summer.

During his successful two-year stint at Fulham, Palhinha scored seven goals in 68 Premier League appearances, and he made more tackles than any other player in the competition in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Spurs and Bayern have already done business once this summer, agreeing the permanent move of Mathys Tel to North London for £38.9m following his six-month loan in the second half of last season.

Tottenham transfer news: Palhinha to ease Morgan Gibbs-White pain?

While Mohammed Kudus's arrival was rightly met with fanfare, Spurs have since hit a brick wall in the wake of the Morgan Gibbs-White saga, which ended in a familiar Tottenham transfer tale of doom and gloom.

However, the signing of the Englishman would have left Frank with creative midfielders coming out of his ears, whereas the base of Spurs' engine room certainly needed addressing as a matter of bigger priority.

When in a Fulham kit, Palhinha forged a reputation as the Premier League's tackle master, and the Portugal international would undoubtedly add the bite that the Tottenham engine room currently lacks.