According to Record, Tottenham Hotspur are amongst the teams interested in Joao Palhinha from Sporting.
Manchester United are also in for the Portuguese midfielder, while Newcastle and Wolves have also been credited with an interest.
It’s not all that surprising to see some of the Premier League’s richest clubs in for Palhinha. After all, he’s been one of the stars of the Portuguese League for quite some time now.
He was a key component in Sporting’s league title last term, while he also played a key role for Portugal at Euro 2020, notably starring against France in the Group Stage.
So, what type of player would Spurs be getting if they landed Palhinha? Well, they’d be signing one of the best tacklers in Europe.
Over the past two league seasons Palhinha has averaged 3.3 tackles per game – last season only Wilfred Ndidi had a higher tally in the Premier League.
Of course, you could argue that those numbers are inflated due to the standard of the league he’s playing in, but he’s also averaging 3.7 tackles per game in the Champions League this term. Simply put, this is a player who can take any game by the scruff of the neck.
At 6 ft 3, it’s not surprising to hear that Palhinha is also physically dominating. In fact, he’s also been compared to the Greek mythological demi-God Hercules by his teammate Jovane Cabral.
Spurs would be getting a very impressive midfielder if they brought Palhinha to north London.
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