Tottenham to 'sacrifice club legend' for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes raids
Tottenham Hotspur will pass up the chance to sign Joao Palhinha permanently in order to instead bring in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
That is the view of Spurs expert John Wenham, who exclusively told Tottenham News he believes Palhinha can claim the status of a "club legend" already.
The Portuguese midfielder spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Spurs from Bayern Munich.
Spurs had the option to sign Palhinha permanently for £26million as per part of the agreement struck with Bayern last summer.
The Lilywhites passed up the chance to do so, but that is not to say they could not negotiate a smaller fee.
However, Wenham has explained why that is unlikely to be the case.
'Massive shame' for Joao Palhinha
Roberto De Zerbi succeeded in his mission of keeping Spurs up last season - just.
2025-26 was an historically bad one for Spurs, but it ultimately ended in a positive manner.
A strong end to the campaign saw Spurs stay up at West Ham's expense, with Palhinha stepping up when it mattered most.
That is why Wenham believes Palhinha should be viewed so highly by supporters, even if it is now unlikely he will return.
“If we sign Tonali and Fernandes, Tottenham will not sign Joao Palhinha," Wenham said. "It's a massive shame for Joao because he was instrumental in keeping us up and he should forever be warmly welcomed at Tottenham Hotspur.
"Even as a club legend, actually, because of the massive contribution that he made in keeping us in the division.
"But I think when they've invested those funds elsewhere, on Tonali, on Fernandes, they'll be our first choice in the centre of midfield."
The big question in all this, however, is whether Spurs can realistically afford both Tonali and Fernandes.
What is latest on Tottenham moves for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes?
Tottenham have had a £75million bid for Tonali turned down by Newcastle United.
A second approach was also knocked back as the North London club did not improve on that offer.
A move for Fernandes has also been touted, meanwhile, with the Portuguese likely to cost in excess of £60m.
That would be a substantial outlay for Spurs to bring in both players.
But a double deal for Tonali and Fernandes is on at Spurs should they play their cards right.
If that comes at the expense of signing Palhinha permanently, that is something supporters would surely accept.