Tottenham on track to break their near decade-long transfer rule as £27m move emerges

Tottenham Hotspur will break a near decade-long transfer policy if they decide to make Joao Palhinha's move permanent next summer. The Portuguese star landed in north London earlier this month on loan from Bayern Munich.

It comes as Spurs aim to rebuild and bounce back from a disappointing Premier League campaign. The club ended up in a dismal 17th place last season under Ange Postecoglou, although he did end the club's trophy drought by clinching the Europa League title.

Following an impressive seven-year spell at Brentford, Thomas Frank made the switch to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer to take over from Postecoglou, and he has wasted no time in bolstering the squad he inherited.

READ MORE: Eberechi Eze to Tottenham transfer accelerates as reason for Arsenal U-turn emerges

READ MORE: Spurs benefit from brand new Premier League rule as Burnley star embarrassed

In addition to securing permanent deals for Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso, Frank has been given a boost with the arrival of Palhinha on a season-long loan, with an option to buy for £27million next summer.

If Spurs choose to trigger the clause, it will mark the first time in nine years that they have forked out a transfer fee for an outfield player over the age of 30. By the time next season's summer window rolls around, he will be on the cusp of turning 31.

Fernando Llorente was the last over-30 outfield player that Spurs paid a transfer fee for, snapping up the striker from Swansea City for £12.1m in the summer of 2017 when he was 32. Regrettably, the move backfired spectacularly for Spurs, with Llorente only managing to net two goals in 36 Premier League appearances before being shipped off to Napoli on a free transfer in 2019.

However, Palhinha, primarily a defensive midfielder, won't be under the same pressure to score. Boasting an impressive CV that includes stints at Sporting CP, Fulham and Bayern, Palhinha arrives in north London with a wealth of accolades under his belt, including a Primeira Liga title, three Taca de Ligas and a Bundesliga crown.

He's also earned 34 caps for Portugal, winning the Nations League with them earlier this year. Palhinha made his official debut for Spurs during Saturday's Premier League opener against newly-promoted Burnley at home, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for Lucas Bergvall to help secure a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Richarlison got the scoring underway for Spurs just 10 minutes into the match, volleying Kudus' cross from the right past Martin Dubravka. The Brazilian doubled his tally 15 minutes into the second half with a spectacular overhead kick, again connecting with a Kudus cross, before celebrating in style.

Brennan Johnson put the game beyond reach six minutes later, with Pape Matar Sarr providing the assist. Despite the buoyant mood in the Spurs camp, Frank is under no illusions about the challenge his team faces when they head to the Etihad Stadium next week to take on a revitalised Manchester City side.

Pep Guardiola's Cityzens climbed to the top of the Premier League after a resounding 4-0 thrashing of Wolves at Molineux on Saturday evening, with goals from new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, as well as a brace from Erling Haaland.

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.