Joao Palhinha’s potential return to Tottenham Hotspur has been dismissed as agent talk.
The Bayern Munich midfielder signed for Spurs on loan last summer and has made 40 appearances so far this season, with five goals and three assists.
A report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg on 23 April claimed that Spurs want to renegotiate their option to buy for the Portuguese midfielder.
He stated that if Bayern are not willing to reduce their demands, a deal for the 30-year-old is unlikely to be reached.
Tottenham have a difficult summer coming up, and their transfer business will determine the expectations for the new season, depending on what league they are in.
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Joao Palhinha move ruled out for Tottenham
John Wenham does not believe that the report that Tottenham are interested in re-signing Palhinha are true, as he has not started in his two appearances under Roberto De Zerbi.
He poured cold water on the idea of a permanent move, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “I can’t see it as we’re building for hopefully a long-term future with De Zerbi and he is yet to pick him to start, whilst he’s selected all of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur.
“It seems surprising, and likely just agent or intermediary talk.”
Why Wenham’s stance makes sense
The latest Palhinha developments do not make it seem like they are too keen to keep him, as they are not willing to pay the original terms.
Wenham’s point is a good one, the new manager does not seem to fancy the veteran, as he has not started him once in his reign.
Given his advancing age, they should be reluctant to spend a decent chunk of their transfer budget on the former Fulham man, and should prioritise other areas or players.
There are surely better and younger options out there who could do the same job, if not better, than the ex-Sporting ace.
The N17 outfit needs to be smarter in the transfer window, and signing Palhinha on a permanent deal would be the opposite of that, as he is not the type of player that they need in the summer.
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