Tottenham Hotspur have been edging towards completing the signing of Joao Palhinha over the last few days.
The former Fulham midfielder excelled in the Premier League during his previous two-year stint, but things haven’t worked out for him at Bayern Munich after his big-money move last summer.
Tottenham have been in talks with Bayern over a potential loan deal for Palhinha, as they look to offer him a way out of Vincent Kompany’s side.
Thomas Frank’s squad is already well-stocked for central midfielders, but with the likes of Yves Bissouma potentially on the way out of N17, the Portuguese could be the perfect replacement.
This article includes exclusive comment from former Tottenham scout Bryan King.
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Tottenham to announce Palhinha on Saturday as medical booked in
Tottenham have made great progress in their bid to sign Palhinha, and it now looks as though his return to the Premier League has become a formality.
The 30-year-old is set to undergo a medical in Germany on Friday (1 August), with Spurs having reached an agreement with the Bundesliga giants over an initial season-long loan deal, according to the Daily Mail (1 August).
The agreement also includes an option which allows them to buy the midfielder for a fee of around £26million, which could become a bargain if he performs well.
Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that the transfer could be announced as early as Saturday (2 August), and also moots a potential falling out between Palhinha and Kompany.
“If he (Palhinha) passes his medical, then I’d imagine it will be announced tomorrow,” King said.
“He’s a good player, and maybe he’s fallen out with Kompany at Bayern, because it seems strange that they’d let a player of that calibre go.
“But, it’s obviously more than we know.
“Palhinha has got a lot of ability, and it can only be a positive for Spurs to sign a player of that level.”
Palhinha will provide valuable experience for Spurs
Palhinha’s arrival should definitely provide something a little bit different for Spurs.
The Lilywhites have made a habit of predominantly trying to target younger players over the last few windows, and while that makes sense from a business point of view, it has left them lacking experience and leadership at times.
Palhinha is a player who has been there and done it in the Premier League, and Frank could find it very helpful to have a player of his level of nous at the club.
The Portuguese should be able to lead by example for the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr within the midfield ranks.
It’s should be a very shrewd piece of business from Tottenham, and it would be no surprise to see them activate that option to buy at the end of his loan tenure.