Joao Palhinha shining at Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur significantly strengthened their team in the last summer transfer window as they brought in new players for almost all the areas of their squad. For the attack, players like Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, and Randal Kolo Muani arrived, while Kota Takai arrived to reinforce the backline.
For the midfield, the most notable addition was that of the Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha, who arrived from Bayern Munich on a season-long loan. The experienced defensive midfielder was quick to showcase his importance to Thomas Frank, and he remains one of the starters for this Spurs side. He has already accumulated 8 appearances for the North London side, and also scored 2 goals.
Thus, his loan move to the Lilywhite club is already proving to be a success, and Tottenham fans would be hoping their team can retain the midfielder even beyond his current loan period.
Bayern Munich hoping Spurs will keep hold of the midfielder
In this regard, CaughtOffside reports that the actual owners of the player, Bayern Munich, are also hoping that Spurs would exercise the option to sign the Portuguese midfielder permanently at the end of this season as they want to part ways with him permanently going forward.
For now, there is still a lot of time till the season, and Palhinha’s loan with the North London side ends, and thus, it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites would be open to making a bet on the midfielder. They will have to pay around £27 million for this purpose, so this factor can also play a significant role in any decision they take about the Portuguese pivot.
From a purely sporting perspective, keeping Palhinha makes a lot of sense for Tottenham. His physicality and defensive skills in the middle of the park can turn out to be key for Thomas Frank as he leads his team towards the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League titles.
Furthermore, the Portuguese midfielder has also shown his offensive skills by scoring 2 goals in his first few appearances at the London club, including one against Manchester City in a crunch Premier League tie. Thus, although the stars seem to be aligning for his permanent stay at Tottenham, it remains to be seen how Palhinha’s future will pan out.