Tottenham beat Everton to August signing, Thomas Frank surprised he managed to win deal
Tottenham went toe-to-toe with several clubs for signings this summer, but came out on top this time.
Daniel Levy was convinced that changes needed to be made in North London after a 17th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Thomas Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou before the Tottenham chairman turned his attention to the market.
Not all went according to plan. Even Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham faced fury over Eberechi Eze’s failed transfer. But with the market closed and done, further reflection reveals there is still something to celebrate.
Tottenham beat Everton to Joao Palhinha
Tottenham signed Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich in August on a season-long loan deal.
The defensive midfielder netted his first goal for Tottenham in their win over Manchester City in the Premier League. Meanwhile, his formidable performance during Spurs’ loss against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final convinced fans of his transfer.
In an interview with Football London on 4 August, Frank admitted that he was surprised Tottenham were able to sign him from Bayern.
He said: Yeah, I was a bit surprised. Bayern went hard for him for two years, and for whatever reason, which I actually don’t care about because we can get him, it was an opportunity for us.”
“Sometimes everything goes a little bit in circles. Sometimes it is impossible to get a number nine. Sometimes it is impossible to get a number six. Sometimes it is impossible to get a right-back. At this moment in time, there are not many clear number sixes in the market so we are quite lucky to get him.”
But it turns out Bayern were not the only club to fret about. As reported by The Athletic on Tuesday, 2 September, Everton felt they had a decent chance of signing Palhinha from the German club.
However, Tottenham intervened and offered the defensive midfielder UEFA Champions League football.
With a long season ahead and everything to play for, Frank will be glad that the Lilywhites wrapped up this deal.
How will Joao Palhinha help Tottenham this season?
During his short time in North London, Palhinha has already demonstrated that he can be useful for the Lilywhites.
Tottenham needed someone in midfield who could break up play and win the ball back. Spurs have depended on Yves Bissouma these past couple of seasons, but he has been inconsistent.
- Palhinha has started three out of four competitive games for Spurs
- The defensive midfielder has accumulated 225 minutes for Frank thus far
Palhinha has become a grounding defensive presence in midfield, which gives Rodrigo Bentancur the freedom to push forward. However, Bournemouth’s man-to-man press in Spurs’ defeat exposed Palhinha’s weaknesses.
The defensive midfielder needs to be quicker in his decision-making when pressed relentlessly to help his teammates progress the ball. Furthermore, Frank needs to tweak his system so that his side remains in control when facing attacking teams.
He pulled this off for 85 minutes against PSG in the Super Cup. But fatigue from the FIFA Club World Cup made a huge difference in Luis Enrique’s side’s intensity.
As such, as well as distributing the ball and forming a defensive pivot alongside Bentancur, Palhinha’s defensive interventions could be keen for Spurs this season.
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