Leicester City engaged in a transfer battle with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Joao Palhinha
According to the Portuguese publication JN [Print Edition] (h/t Liverpool Echo), Leicester City are currently engaged in a transfer tussle with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Sporting star Joao Palhinha. He has been linked with an exit from his current club following his rapid rise over the last two years or so.
Palhinha is a late bloomer, having developed to become a key cog at the club and country level in recent years. As such, several Premier League sides have been circling to keep an eye out for the midfielder to make their move at an opportune moment. Tottenham are one of the interested parties, with Leicester now joining the transfer race.
Spurs will also need to deal with competition from Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers if they hope to facilitate a move for the Portuguese international. A price tag worth €35million is slapped to secure his signature, but it remains to be seen if that would be paid or not.
Can Spurs sign Palhinha?
The 26-year-old seems to be in line to take the next step, with him being in the prime years of his playing career. Antonio Conte’s side would be wise to plan an offensive and win this transfer race, especially if they are plotting to keep raising their level for a better future.
The North Londoners do have a good amount of options in midfield, but that could seriously be put in danger due to the risk of injuries or suspension in a long season where they would also face off on multiple fronts at once. That is not ideal, especially if they can get into the Champions League in the next term.
Hence, Palhinha could be deemed a necessary signing as he could add more quality to our ranks while increasing the depth to deal with different scenarios. Having a midfield enforced like him could perhaps free up Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg so that the latter could enjoy more freedom to push forward just like he plays for the Denmark national team.
Palhinha would also raise competition among the midfield options, which, in turn, could benefit the club moving forward. For that to happen, he would need to be signed in the first place, which could be difficult with the Foxes standing our way.
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Brendan Rodger’s side have enjoyed quite a difficult season so far, which is a sharp contrast to how they were in the campaign before that. That could explain why they are targeting Palhinha, as they could tighten up their defence by having someone to protect the backline from the midfield.
As such, Fabio Paratici must remain cautious at all times if he plans to back Conte by providing the man in charge with his desired targets. Let’s wait and see how this situation will pan out in the coming months ahead of the summer transfer window.