The loanee is open to staying at Tottenham even if they get relegated.
Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham are in the thick of a relegation battle, which could see a decisive turn at the weekend depending on how results pan out.
West Ham United occupy the final relegation spot and host league leaders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Defeat for the Hammers in that fixture would give Spurs the chance to move four points clear of the drop zone if they secure a victory at home to Leeds United on Monday night.
Tottenham are having a difficult season and will want to forget it as quickly as possible. This has forced many players to consider their options going into the offseason. That is quite apparent in the links that have started to appear in the rumour mill of late. However, there are a few players who are ready to stick with the club even if the unthinkable happens. And one of those is Joao Palhinha.
Joao Palhinha’s quality has been questioned by fans and pundits throughout this season, as Spurs have struggled near the bottom of the table. However, he has been enjoying a new lease of life under Roberto De Zerbi, popping up with the winner at Wolves. The Portuguese midfielder was also instrumental in Tottenham’s away victory over Aston Villa last weekend.
Sporting CP eye return of Joao Palhinha
De Zerbi has already made it clear that he wants to keep Joao Palhinha beyond this season. Tottenham hold a £25million option to buy the 30-year-old, who wants to stay committed to the club even if they get relegated.
As the N17 bosses contemplate whether to turn Palhinha’s loan into a permanent deal, a European club has expressed an interest in signing him. According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Sporting CP are keeping close tabs on the defensive midfielder’s situation at Tottenham. They are planning to bring him back to the club ahead of the 2026/27 season, with the Tottenham loanee wishing to return to Portugal due to personal reasons.
The report adds Benfica are also in the race, but Palhinha prefers a move back to Sporting CP, where he enjoyed two strong campaigns before being snapped up by Fulham in the summer of 2022. Now, the Lions want to re-sign the defensive midfielder as a potential replacement for Hidemasa Morita, who is on the verge of leaving as a free agent.
Sporting will be playing in the Champions League next season, which should be enough to appeal to Palhinha over a possible return to his boyhood club. Plus, the enforcer knows the surroundings very well, which should ideally allow him to seamlessly slot into the manager’s system.
That said, if Tottenham cannot quickly resolve Palhinha’s future, Sporting will get encouragement to contact his camp and present their project. Ultimately, the decision will be the Portugal international’s to make.