After landing an early blow on North London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur‘s week could reportedly get even better after a breakthrough in talks to sign a new midfield enforcer.
Tottenham seal pre-season derby victory
It may have been a pre-season game that took place many miles away from North London and one that featured a number of changes on the pitch, but Tottenham would have still enjoyed their victory over Arsenal. Coming courtesy of Pape Matar Sarr’s lobbed effort after David Raya and the Gunners’ midfield combined for a rare mistake, Thomas Frank has taken a big step towards getting fans onside.
Defeating direct rivals two weeks out from the start of the season is enough to hand any side a boost, but Frank will particularly appreciate it at the start of his tenure.
Now, his focus will be on ensuring that his side are ready to take such a victory into when it matters. And to help on that front, Spurs could yet turn back towards the transfer market.
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On that front, the North London club have already signed Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel on a permanent deal, but still have around a month to get any other deals over the line.
Just who arrives is the big question, however. With Heung-min Son potentially on his way to LAFC, Spurs will need to find a replacement for their captain and the goals that he provides.
It looked as though Yoane Wissa could be an option earlier in the window, before Newcastle United emerged as frontrunners and then Brentford blocked his exit altogether. Whether Spurs or Newcastle return to question that stance remains to be seen.
Instead, the Lilywhites have seemingly turned their focus towards reinforcing their midfield with a player already familiar with the Premier League.
Tottenham agree £26m total package for Palhinha
According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Tottenham have now fully agreed the details on Joao Palhinha’s loan move from Bayern Munich, which will cost around £26m if they decide to make it permanent, with just over £4m of that guaranteed spend as the loan fee. The Portugal international will undergo a medical and sign “as soon as possible”.
Although things haven’t quite worked out in Germany, it wasn’t so long ago that Palhinha was starring for Fulham in England’s top flight and a swift return could result in a return to his best form.
Full of praise for his midfielder, Fulham boss Marco Silva described Palhinha as “great” in 2022, before he eventually earned a move to Bayern Munich. Now on the way to one of his London rivals, Silva will have to watch on as the defensive midfielder adds some much needed bite at Tottenham.
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