Tottenham have reportedly been aware of the fee needed to sign a Bayern Munich star who only joined the German club last summer.
Spurs are looking to strengthen in midfield following a campaign that was desperately disappointing on the domestic front but ended with Europa League glory.
That trophy wasn’t enough to save Ange Postecoglou from the sack with former Brentford boss Thomas Frank coming in to replace the Australian.
And Bild claim Tottenham have registered their interested in defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha.
And they will have to pay somewhere in the region of £26m to get the deal over the line, a year after Bayern signed him for £48m.
Bild journalist Christian Falk said: ‘there’s still the possibility of selling him this summer.
Tottenham can sign Bayern’s Joao Palhinha (3rd right) for a cut-price fee this summer
Thomas Frank’s Spurs are looking to strengthen in midfield ahead of the new season
‘The price is going down and down – €25m [£21.6m], perhaps €30m [£25.9m], but that’s it. Bayern Munich want to sell him. If he leaves, it’s also a chance for the club to go for Renato Veiga.
Palhinha moved to Craven Cottage from Sporting Lisbon for around £17m in 2022, before joining Bayern Munich for £48m last summer.
Despite winning the Bundesliga in his debut season, he endured a disappointing campaign.
The 30-year-old started just seven matches in the league and was sidelined with injuries for more than two months.
He also failed to contribute a goal or an assist in his 17 Bundesliga appearances.
And the German champions have already come close to cashing in on him, with Arsenal very interested in the midfielder earlier this summer, according to Bild, who claim there were ‘concrete discussions’ about the cost of a move.
But the two clubs were unable to come to an agreement, even though Bayern were reportedly willing to cut their losses and sell him for £26m.
Inter Milan as well as a number of other clubs in England, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Portugal are said to remain interested in the 30-year-old.
Palhinha (right) made a big money move to Bayern last summer but failed to make a big impact
However, he is still intent on succeding in Munch and is only open to an ‘absolutely top offer’ such as the Arsenal move.
But Bayern have an abundance of central midfield options, meaning his game time could again be limited this season.
Leon Goretzka, Aleks Pavlovic, Tom Bischof, and Palhinha are all competing for a starting berth next to Joshua Kimmich.
While Konrad Laimer also plays in midfield but has been filling in at right-back.
Fulham have also explored a potential return for the midfielder Joao Palhinha, after he failed to make much of an impact in his first season away.
The Portuguese joined the Cottagers in the summer of 2022 and went on to score eight goals in 79 appearances.
A deadline day move to Bayern collapsed in 2023 with the Bavarians going on to get their man a year later.
