Considering the number of central midfielders who have come (or will come) into the club this summer, this shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone, but we’re going to go ahead and say it anyway — Tottenham Hotspur will not be pursuing a permanent transfer for Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha.
I have a long history of skepticism about Palhinha and his role when he arrived on loan from Bayern last summer, especially since we didn’t have the required passy midfielder to play alongside him and unlock what he does best, but I have to admit he was a plus add for Spurs in what was a pretty garbage and depressing season. Palhinha wasn’t perfect, but he sure seemed to love the club, was a defensive monster, and popped up for some improbable and pretty fantastic goals every so often, including one against Everton in the final match of the season that preserved Spurs’ status in the Premier League.
For that he has my gratitude and my appreciation. There were rumors that he was on a shortlist for a permanent deal, but with Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali coming in, well, that pretty much puts paid to that speculation. Bayern don’t seem to want him either and there were rumors earlier that he could return to Portugal to rejoin his old club Sporting Lisbon. Palhinha however leaves the club as a fan favorite and potentially a cult hero.
Thanks for the memories, Joao. I am glad though I no longer have to see your surname consistently misspelled in the comment section of this Blog Dot Com.
