Joao Palhinha was on loan at Tottenham Hotspur last season, and the player has been linked with Sporting CP in recent weeks.

Tottenham have an option to sign the player permanently upon the expiry of his loan deal, but they are yet to trigger the clause. Naturally, there have been rumours surrounding his future, and he has been linked with a return to his former club. He does not have a future at Bayern Munich, and the German champions will look to sell him permanently this summer.

According to a report from Portuguese publication O Jogo (h/t SportWitness), it seems that the 30-year-old midfielder will now “slip through Sporting CP’s fingers”, and he is more likely to join Tottenham permanently.

They need more quality and depth in the middle of the park, and the Portuguese star could be ideal for them. He did quite well at Tottenham on loan, and he could be a very useful option for Roberto De Zerbi.

Tottenham need more defensive steel and physicality in the middle of the park. Keeping the player at the club would be a wise decision. He is well settled in the team, and he will be able to pick up where he left off last season.

The player will be hoping to sort out his future quickly and focus on his football. He enjoyed his time at the London club, and joining them permanently will be an attractive option for him as well.

It remains to be seen how the situation develops. Tottenham have done well to improve the defensive unit so far, and they need to add more quality to the midfield and the attack as well.