What shirt number is Joao Palhinha most likely to take at Tottenham?
Joao Palhinha has completed a loan move to Tottenham from Bayern Munich ahead of the upcoming season.
The midfielder has been a target for Thomas Frank this summer, with the Dane hoping to add experience to a youthful team.
Palhinha is just Spurs’ second new signing following the £55million arrival of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham earlier in the window.
Frank had also expected to welcome Morgan Gibbs-White after the midfielder’s £60m release clause was triggered, but the England international has now signed a new deal at the City Ground.
What shirt number will Palhinha wear?
Palhinha built a reputation for himself during his time at Fulham. The midfielder dwarfed every other Premier League player in tackles in his two years in England, registering 300.
The closest competitor, Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, had just 191 in comparison.
Frank will be hoping Palhinha can achieve a similar feat on his return to the league, after the Portugal international failed to settle within the Bundesliga.
The 30-year-old has several options for his shirt number at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Five could be an interesting option, having been made available after the departure of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but fans might be hesitant to see a loan player given such a key number.
| Available shirt numbers at Tottenham |
| 2 |
| 3 |
| 5 |
| 12 |
| 16 |
At Fulham, Palhinha wore the number 26, but that number appears to be off limits.
Spurs legend Ledley King was the club’s number 26 for 14 years, with the number now considered unofficially retired until a player with a connection to King himself has the opportunity to take it.
Palhinha’s number for the Portugal national team, six, is also off the cards with Radu Dragusin currently holding that shirt.
A more natural option could be the number 16, which the midfielder picked when he signed for Bayern Munich.
The 16 has previously been worn by greats such as Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker, but more recently by Timo Werner, who left the club at the end of the season following two years on loan.
And it may well be that is the happy medium Spurs and Palhinha fall on.
Palhinha to give Spurs much-needed mettle
If Palhinha can reach the heights he did at Fulham, the midfielder will be a superb signing for Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou’s team last season lacked physicality, with opponents often allowed to drive through the heart of the midfield.
But Palhinha would undoubtedly put a stop to that for Frank, the 30-year-old not afraid to throw in a lunging tackle or a disarming shoulder.
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