Tottenham have signed Portuguese maestro Joao Palhinha, with the midfielder joining the club on loan initially with an option to buy for €30 million, but what will he bring to Thomas Frank’s side?
Joao Palhinha’s Career
The 30-year-old Portugal international has gained a wealth of experience throughout his career, appearing for the likes of Sporting CP, Fulham and most recently Bayern Munich.
Palhinha’s ventures were a success for both Sporting and Fulham, which earned him the move to Bayern Munich. However, manager Vincent Kompany appears to prefer the likes of Aleksander Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich in his midfield.
Throughout his time in Portugal, Joao Palhinha appeared in 146 games for various clubs in League competitions, and has played in 21 matches in European competition for Sporting and Braga.
Palhinha then ventured to London, where he joined Fulham, settling for two seasons with the newly promoted side as they established themselves back in the Premier League. Alongside this, Palhinha helped Fulham to an FA Cup quarter-final as well as a Carabao Cup semi-final.
The Portuguese enforcer then departed for Bundesliga side Bayern Munich for a fee of 51 million euros, earning Fulham a profit of around €25 million on the player.
Although Palhinha has shown glimpses of the tackling game that many have come to expect from him, he hasn’t wholly settled with the side, thus provoking the move.
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What Will Joao Palhinha Bring to Tottenham?
Throughout last season, Tottenham’s midfield, although showing levels of creativity and athleticism, lacked an element of bite and steel, allowing teams to win the midfield battle against them.
This is an area of the game where Palhinha excels, and something that Thomas Frank will demand from his midfielders.
In the two seasons Palhinha spent in the Premier League, he topped the charts for tackling on both occasions. At a rate of 4.6 and 4.2 tackles per game, respectively, the player was able to show an element of grit and determination that many players lack nowadays.
The Portugal international was also able to appear on the scoresheet seven times, appearing to be a danger from set pieces with his height.
In comparison, Mali international Yves Bissouma, who has operated in central midfield for Tottenham, has accumulated four Premier League goals in the past five seasons.
In addition to this, Palhinha will also help bring a rigid structure to Tottenham. Thomas Frank will look to play a more reserved, yet efficient style of football in comparison to Ange Postecoglou.
This will require an element of stability and control in the middle of the pitch, which Joao Palhinha has shown he can provide.
For him to return to the Premier League, this should prove to be a sensible move for the player and one where he can continue with European football.
When taking into account statistics, Palhinha should bring a different characteristic to the Tottenham midfield, with his tackling, whereby he excels, indicating that this is a sensible move for all parties.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Lackovic
Recording Date: 31.07.2025