Tottenham Hotspur backed to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent deal in January
Joao Palhinha is thriving under Thomas Frank at Tottenham this season. The Portugal international has rediscovered his passion for the game and is finally getting regular minutes to showcase his quality in the Premier League. His consistent performances have been instrumental in helping the Lilywhites climb to third in the league table, just two points behind leaders Arsenal.
Palhinha’s dominant displays in midfield have brought authority and control against even the trickiest of opponents. Spurs look far more composed with him anchoring the midfield, as his presence brings the best out of those around him. Ten games into the new campaign, the 30-year-old shows no signs of slowing down despite featuring in every match so far.
It is fair to say that the Portuguese midfielder has managed to revive his career by returning to the Premier League after a year in Germany. Palhinha endured a tough time at Bayern Munich and struggled to make the starting eleven under Vincent Kompany. But thanks to Thomas Frank, the 30-year-old is enjoying his career-best spell at N17 and making an impact on both ends of the football pitch.
Tottenham aiming to buy Joao Palhinha permanently
Tottenham addressed one of their major weaknesses last summer by securing Palhinha from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal. The Portuguese midfielder was brought in to play the pivotal #6 role, providing control, balance, and defensive stability in the middle of the park. And he has done exactly that, quickly becoming one of Frank’s most trusted players at N17.
So, it should not come as a surprise that Spurs are willing to turn his initial loan deal into a permanent signing in the coming months. As per Sami Mokbel (via BBC),
“What Tottenham should, and I expect will, be looking to commit money towards is the permanent signing of Joao Palhinha. The Portuguese has been excellent since his initial arrival from Bayern Munich on a loan deal – his full-time signing should be a no-brainer.”
Mokbel expects Tottenham to dedicate a large portion of their January transfer budget to securing Palhinha’s permanent transfer. The midfielder’s influence has been immense, and retaining him beyond next summer seems an obvious decision for the club. Encouragingly, Palhinha himself is said to be keen on extending his stay at Hotspur Way.
The onus is now on the Portuguese star to maintain his impressive form throughout the campaign. So far, Palhinha has been one of Tottenham’s standout performers under Thomas Frank, setting the standard in midfield. If he continues at this level, Spurs will have every chance of competing on all fronts and building on last season’s Europa League success.