Pedro Porro has shared what he told Joao Palhinha ahead of his move to Tottenham and has explained what the midfielder will add to this Spurs side.
Palhinha’s stats suggest that Spurs have signed one of the best ball-winners in the game, with the 30-year-old set to shore up Thomas Frank’s midfield.
His signing encapsulates the big shift in Tottenham’s transfer strategy, with the Lilywhites seeming to prioritise signing players with Premier League experience this summer.
The expectation at Spurs is that Palhinha will make an instant impact and that he will be a regular in the starting eleven this season.
Pedro Porro opens up on his conversation with Joao Palhinha
The new Tottenham signing played with Pedro Porro at Sporting Lisbon, and Palhinha has remarked that he is excited to win titles alongside Porro again.
The Spurs right-back has now revealed that the midfielder was one of his closest friends at Sporting and shared what the pair spoke about before the former Fulham man’s move to N17.
When asked about Palhinha’s arrival, Porro told Tottenham’s official website: “I’ve spoken with him already! He asked me everything about Spurs.
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“Things as well like where you live… Of course, Palhinha lived in London when he was at Fulham but that’s a long way away from our training ground. It may be London, but the traffic is crazy, so he asked me, I spoke with him, and he was relaxed.
“I spoke with him and told him that the club is amazing. You have everything here. The most important thing is that when you play well, it is incredible.
“Of course, I’m happy he’s coming. When you have a teammate, maybe three years ago… I’ve since played against him when he was at Bayern and against him when he was with Fulham. He’s a good guy. I like him.
“He’s also excited to come here. When I arrived at Sporting, Palhinha is the one person in my life whom I had the best relationship with in the dressing room. We’re good friends.
“For us, this signing is very, very good because he is a good person. That is the most important thing, that he is a good person. I think the people here will like him.”
Porro reveals what Palhinha will add to the Tottenham midfield
It has been widely reported that Thomas Frank saw Palhinha as a perfect fit for his system, with the Dane expecting the midfielder to add experience, quality, and intensity to the Tottenham midfield.
Porro has now said that the new Tottenham signing’s aggression is his best attribute, claiming that the 30-year-old will add a lot to the side when they are defending in their own half.
The Spaniard said about the Portugal international: “On the pitch, he is consistent, a hard-working person, a little bit aggressive. I like Palhinha because, to play in his position (central midfield), you need that aggression when the ball is in your half.
“And that is the best attribute of Palhinha – that aggression. I’ve seen it in training, and it’s similar in games. If there’s one person who likes aggression and intensity, it’s Palhinha – and that is good for us.”