Joao Palhinha, despite not being a perfect fit in Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield tactics under Thomas Frank, nonetheless endeared himself to a large percentage of Spurs supporters with his gritty and tenacious tackling and propensity to pop up and score goals seemingly from nowhere.
There have been indications that Spurs might want to keep Palhinha around for longer, either on a permanent deal or another season-long loan, and Palhinha compared his relationship to the club as a “marriage.” But according
to a report from Portugal outlet Correio de Manha, Joao looks like he instead will be returning to his old club Sporting.
The report states that Bayern Munich, Palhinha’s home club, are close to an agreement with Sporting for a permanent transfer in the amount of €25m (£21.5m) after Bayern reduced their asking price from €30m. That’s… cheap. Cheap enough for me to actually ponder the idea of purchasing him outright, especially with the free agent departure of Yves Bissouma. I know I’ve expressed frustration over his signing but that was because he only made sense if Spurs paired him alongside a midfield passer, something they did not do last season.
The article also says that Spurs attempted to trigger his purchase option after the conclusion of his loan to Tottennham, but that Palhinha has reportedly chosen to return to Sporting in order to be closer to his family. He’ll also serve as an experienced replacement for Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who is expected to leave the club.
It sure does appear that Palhinha has made his choice, and it’s not Spurs. That’s ok. I came around somewhat on his appointment and he certainly gave us moments to cheer in what was a pretty dreadful season overall. It’ll be interesting to see how Roberto De Zerbi and Spurs fill the gaps in the midfield with what remains of the summer — I suspect with the World Cup now underway that this might not get resolved until the end of the window.
