Tottenham Hotspur are already planning to make Joao Palhinha a permanent member of their squad after he has been at the forefront of head coach Thomas Frank's plans since heading to Hotspur Way on an initial loan deal from Bayern Munich, GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs has revealed.
Spurs raided RB Leipzig in the final days of the summer transfer window, with Xavi Simons sealing a switch worth £51million as they went in search of fresh creativity in the final third of the pitch, and the north Londoners are on course to hold fresh negotiations with one of their Bundesliga rivals.
Spurs Eager to Tie Palhinha Down to Permanent Deal
Tottenham are preparing to sign Palhinha on a permanent deal at the end of the season, respected journalist Jacobs has revealed, and they have been handed a significant boost as the defensive midfielder wants to stay in his current surroundings instead of heading back to Bayern Munich.
Frank took advantage of the opportunity to reshape the squad he inherited from predecessor Ange Postecoglou during the summer transfer window - with Mohammed Kudus being the most expensive acquisition after an agreement was reached with West Ham United - and he is already looking at how he can make further improvements in the future.
Jacobs has confirmed that Tottenham are inclined to take up the £26million option to buy Palhinha at the end of his loan spell, but they are still contemplating whether to attempt to negotiate a lower fee with Bayern Munich after it has become clear that his preference is to remain in north London.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Joao Palhinha won three ground duels and made two tackles during Tottenham Hotspur's stalemate with Bodo/Glimt earlier this week
Although the Portugal international was named among the substitutes for Spurs' comeback draw against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League earlier this week, before coming on for Pape Matar Sarr in the second period, he is at the forefront of Frank's plans after making an impressive start to life in his new surroundings.
Palhinha made it clear when his arrival from Bayern Munich was first being negotiated that he wanted to have the opportunity to stay on Tottenham's books beyond the end of the campaign, according to Jacobs, and his early-season performances have resulted in last term's Europa League winners being eager to retain his services.