Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season plans received a blow on Thursday evening, with the Premier League side beaten 4-0 by German giants Bayern Munich in Bavaria.
The game gave Spurs fans a glimpse of former hero Harry Kane, who scored against his boyhood club and missed a penalty in the one-sided clash.
While Tottenham fans would love to see Kane back in their colours, the former Spurs striker knows a number of the current side well given they have moved to N17 from Bayern.
After the game at the Allianz Arena, Kane picked out a new Spurs player for special praise.
Kane talks up Palhinha signing
Tottenham signed Joao Palhinha from Bayern earlier in the summer, with the Portugal international moving to North London on a season-long loan deal.
The former Fulham man is being tipped to add quality and energy to the Spurs midfield this season and will increase manager Thomas Frank’s options in the heart of his team.
Kane played alongside Palhinha last season as Bayern lifted the Bundesliga title and said the Portuguese battler would bring plenty of qualities to Tottenham.
“He’s tough, he tackles hard, he’s good on the ball, he knows the Premier League well from his time at Fulham and he’s a guy that will give everything for you,” Kane told Tottenham’s official website.
“I know he’s going to a good place and he’ll hopefully get some more game time and show what he can do.”
Palhinha brings quality and industry to Tottenham
Tottenham struggled for consistency in the centre of the pitch last season, with either Yves Bissouma or Rodrigo Bentancur selected as the deepest player in a midfield trio.
While Bissouma is technically gifted on the ball, his lapses in concentration and propensity to give away possession in dangerous areas cost Spurs.
Bentancur is a gifted and smart footballer, but following a spate of recent injuries has lacked the physical intensity he showed when he first joined Tottenham in January 2022.
In Palhinha, Spurs have signed someone who can dictate the pace of the game in possession and a player with a ferocious appetite to win the ball back when his team don’t have it.
Tottenham lacked protection in front of their defence last season, with Bissouma or Bentancur regularly caught out of position or overrun.
If Frank can get Palhinha fit and make him the fulcrum of the team, Spurs’ midfield balance will surely be much improved in 2025-26.