Palhinha the best in the Premier League in key area, this is why Tottenham want him
Tottenham are set to sign Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich, and the signing makes so much sense for several reasons.
The Portugal star will return to the Premier League after one year in Germany, and Bayern’s loss will be Tottenham’s gain.
Spurs needed more experience and legs in their midfield, and Palhinha will provide that in abundance, and he will join on a low-cost loan deal with an option to buy.
Palhinha is likely to replace Yves Bissouma in the middle of the park, and Spurs fans will be particularly excited as they are signing one of the best ball-winners in Europe.
Palhinha led the Premier League for tackles
Palhinha spent two years in the Premier League with Fulham before departing for Bayern, and in that time, he established himself as one of the best players in his position.
The 30-year-old is a tough-tackling midfielder who will add steel to Thomas Frank’s side, and during his time in England, no one came close to his ball-winning ability.
The Portugal international attempted 300 tackles in his 68 appearances in the Premier League, at a remarkable rate of 4.65 per 90 minutes (FBref).
| Stat | Palhinha |
| Appearances | 68 |
| Tackles attempted | 300 |
| Tackles won | 158 |
| Per 90 | 4.65 |
During this time, this was miles ahead of any other player in the entire league, with Moises Caicedo behind him on 191 attempted tackles during those two seasons.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice made 162 tackle attempts in that time, while Bissouma managed just 96, at a rate of 3.54 per 90 minutes.
- Palhinha was the best ball-winner in the Premier League during his time at Fulham.
- His high-volume tackling will add grit to the Tottenham midfield.
Palhinha to join Tottenham as a starter
Palhinha was eager to quit Bayern given his lack of game time there, despite winning the Bundesliga alongside Harry Kane.
His move to Tottenham indicates that not only was he eager to return to London, but he will join to play regularly as a starter, rather than to warm the bench.
This means that Bissouma is not the only one who has to watch out for his spot, as Rodrigo Bentancur could now find himself ousted if Palhinha impresses immediately.
Spurs have needed more signings who can make an instant impact, and they have got exactly that in Palhinha, who can also help young stars such as Lucas Bergvall develop.
Sign up for the daily Tottenham News newsletter on Substack and our new WhatsApp channel to have all the latest, breaking Tottenham Hotspur news sent straight to your phone.