Key Takeaways:
- Tottenham Hotspur are already considering triggering the £27million buy option for Joao Palhinha following his strong loan start
- The 30-year-old midfielder has netted twice in eight appearances, including a memorable overhead kick in the Carabao Cup against Doncaster on Wednesday night
- Palhinha is set to feature again when Spurs host Wolves in north London on Saturday night
Loan Spell Sparks Move Towards Permanent Transfer
Tottenham Hotspur are already inclined to activate the clause to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis, talkSPORT understands. The club secured the Portuguese international on loan from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window and have been impressed by his performances. Tottenham have the opportunity to complete the move for a reported fee of £27million.
The decision is supported by their head coach, Thomas Frank, who has expressed his desire for Tottenham to finalise the deal for Palhinha. The Dane, keen to reinforce the north London side’s midfield, is believed to be in favour of making the Portugal international’s stay long-term.
Tottenham are already inclined to take up their option to sign Joao Palhinha permanently.
Palhinha is also keen to stay beyond this season after joining on loan from Bayern. The deal includes a £27m buy option.
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Impactful Performances and Versatility
In his brief time at the club, Palhinha has become an integral part of Spurs’ line-up. The 30-year-old has already tallied eight appearances across all competitions, registering two goals. His first came in a 2-0 away victory at Manchester City, while his latest was a spectacular overhead kick during Tottenham’s 3-0 Carabao Cup third round success over Doncaster on Wednesday night.
Remarkably, although Palhinha is most often deployed as a holding midfielder, he started that match at centre-back, underlining his versatility and tactical intelligence. His contributions have helped Tottenham to five wins across three different competitions, and the team currently occupies third position in the Premier League table.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | — | — |
| All Competitions | 8 | 2 |
| Carabao Cup (Third Round v Doncaster) | 1 | 1 |
| Premier League (v Manchester City) | 1 | 1 |
Gratitude for Second Chance in England
Palhinha has publicly expressed his appreciation for Frank and the Tottenham hierarchy for offering him a renewed opportunity to play in England’s top flight, after a stint at Bayern Munich in which he made just 25 appearances last season. Of these, only six of his 17 Bundesliga outings came under Vincent Kompany’s management.
Palhinha told Sky Sports: “I feel really grateful for Thomas and the rest of the people at Tottenham to give me this opportunity to shine again in the Premier League.”
He added: “It was an easy decision for me, it was not too difficult to decide to come.
Because when you feel like someone – like Thomas in this case – wants you, it makes everything more easy.”
Discussing Frank, Palhinha stated: “For me, I followed Thomas at that time from outside because I didn’t know him.
I never met him before. I just played against him when I was in Fulham.
“But when I was looking at him, he always looked like a coach with the right human [side].
“For me, now that I’m sharing the pitch, these moments with him, for sure, that is his best quality.
“Apart, of course, [from] the other tactical really good things that he has.
“But the main [thing] for me, and the most important thing in the coach, is to be a real human being, like to be a great person.
“I think [this] is the main thing probably that [the] coach needs to be, need to be the best quality and make [it] easy for us to players to speak, not just with him, but each other, the environment inside of the club.
“I think it’s a really good thing that not just me, but also my teammates have felt since he arrived.”
Frank Impressed by Midfield General
Thomas Frank, meanwhile, has been quick to praise Palhinha for his performances since joining, especially after the resounding Carabao Cup victory.
Speaking post-match, Frank commented: “Very happy. He has been very good for us since he joined
Again, just stepping into that centre-back role and played very well and scored a very good goal. So, yeah, pleased.”
Next Challenge: Wolves Await Spurs and Palhinha
Tottenham will be back in action when they host Wolves in north London on Saturday night, where Palhinha will look to make another significant contribution. The fixture will be broadcast live on talkSPORT.
