Tottenham may now have the financial power to keep João Palhinha permanently after securing Premier League survival. However, reports from Portugal insist the midfielder is pushing hard in the opposite direction.
The Portugal international was one of Spurs’ most important players during the survival battle under Roberto De Zerbi. Palhinha finished the season with seven goals and two assists in 45 appearances, impressive numbers for a defensive midfielder.
De Zerbi wants him to stay. Tottenham also now have stronger financial conditions after avoiding relegation.
However, Sporting continue to believe the player’s desire to return to Lisbon may still outweigh the financial side of the equation.
Salary sacrifice becoming major factor
A Bola report Palhinha is willing to reduce his salary “to the limit” in order to return to Sporting Club de Portugal this summer.
According to the Portuguese outlet, Palhinha currently earns around €9m (£7.6m) gross per season. These figures are completely out of reach for Portuguese clubs. Additionally, the midfielder understands that reality.
Because of that, and because he wants to return closer to his family and play again for Sporting, he is now reportedly prepared to drastically reduce his wages to make the move happen.
Previous Portuguese reports already claimed Palhinha was open to lowering his salary. But the newspaper now describes the player as willing to go to the limit financially in order to complete the return.
Bayern now biggest obstacle
Sporting’s rebuild plans continue to revolve heavily around Palhinha. But at this stage, however, A Bola say Bayern Munich have become the biggest obstacle in the operation.
The German side still have Palhinha under contract until 2028 and Sporting now need either Bayern’s goodwill to lower demands or an agreement around a loan with an option to buy.
That second formula continues to be viewed as the most realistic path.
Importantly, the report states negotiations are already underway and Sporting want talks to accelerate.
So while Tottenham may now be financially stronger after survival, the story in Portugal continues moving in a very different direction.
Earlier this week, as reported by Record, João Palhinha was even spotted in Lisbon alongside several familiar Sporting faces, such as Francisco Trincão, Ruben Amorim and Franco Israel.
The growing feeling there is that Palhinha is actively trying to make the return happen.
