Bayern Munich worked for a long time to secure Premier League star Joao Palhinha. The defensive midfielder was on his way to the Bundesliga giants on Deadline Day in 2023 in a €65 million transfer, but the entire transfer collapsed when Fulham failed to find a replacement. Instead, the Portuguese’s contract was extended until 2028, with Palhinha finishing the Premier League season with the most successful tackles in the world’s toughest league. Talk about mental strength! Thomas Frank now wants to secure this type of player.
The transfer to Bayern came last summer in a €51 million transfer plus bonuses. Everything was set for success. Bayern Munich also won the Bundesliga title this season, but for the Portuguese international, the season was a downer. For several games, Palhinha was sidelined due to physical problems and also faced stiff competition from Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović. The result was less than a thousand minutes in the match arena in his debut season.
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This clearly does not scare Tottenham, who see it as a great opportunity. Palhihna thrived in London and the Premier League, according to transfer journalist Romano, Thomas Frank has ordered the Premier League’s former best tackler to dominate midfield for Tottenham.
Romano reports Frank and Spurs are very interested in strengthening the defensive midfield with the Portuguese, and are in contact with representatives about a possible transfer. After this, negotiations with Bayern Munich await, but we have previously seen the Germans are not slow to dump signings that do not fit into the club, as long as the sale does not result in financial loss.
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A highly motivated Tottenham are probably willing to pay what it takes to bring back one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders. Could be gold for Spurs.
