‘He’s a beast’ – Best Joao Palhinha quotes from those who played with him
Joao Palhinha has joined Tottenham with an excellent reputation from former colleagues.
Tottenham confirmed the signing of Palhinha from Bayern Munich on Sunday (3 August), hours after Son Heung-min’s emotional send-off against Newcastle in Seoul.
The defensive midfielder joined the Lilywhites on loan with an option to make the move permanent next summer for around £27million.
Palhinha became Spurs’ fifth signing of the summer, and the 30-year-old is expected to link up with the squad in London when they return from their mini break after the pre-season tour in Asia.
Palhinha described as a “beast”, with “unbelievable” energy
Palhinha will hope to feature against his former club as Spurs travel to Germany to face Bayern on Thursday (7 August), with Tottenham fans equally hoping to see their new man in action.
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The Portugal international arrives holding a Premier League record from his time at Fulham, and will bring the Lilywhites a wealth of defensive qualities and experience.
His reputation as a player has garnered a lot of praise from his former colleagues, many of whom highlighted both his character and intelligence, as well as his footballing abilities.
Andreas Pereira (Former Fulham midfielder):
“João is a beast. He wins everything in midfield, and that gives us freedom to play. He’s very important for how we want to play — aggressive, pressing, strong. Off the pitch, he’s humble and a really good guy.”
Tim Ream (Former Fulham defender):
“He’s everywhere. Sometimes I look up and he’s in front of me, and two seconds later he’s closing someone down near the corner flag. His energy is unbelievable.”
Marco Silva (Fulham manager, formerly at Sporting too):
“He’s one of the best midfielders in Europe at what he does. His intelligence, his reading of the game — it’s top level.”
Bruno Fernandes (Fellow Portugal international):
“João is very important for the balance of the team. He does the dirty work that allows others to shine, but he can play too — he’s not just a tackler.”
Palhinha finally fills important midfield role missing for Spurs
Spurs have been crying out for a specialist defensive midfielder for a number of years, with Thomas Frank commenting how his profile was one of the first the Dane acknowledged was missing in N17.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma have tried to fill in, but neither possesses the natural understanding of the role that Palhinha does, especially from a positional sense.
The former Fulham midfielder’s defensive acumen will allow Frank to be more adventurous in his selection in the centre of the park while giving his attacking full-backs more licence to get forward.
Palhinha also brings a wealth of top-level club and international experience to Tottenham, which will be a valuable asset to the younger members of the squad at Hotspur Way.