Tottenham Hotspur have put together one of the most impressive summer transfer windows on the actual Premier League pitch this season, because while they spent less than fellow title contenders Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool, they had a higher success rate of new signings this year.
If you consider Mathys Tel's long-term upside, then Tottenham are batting 1.000 in terms of players who have debuted (Randal Kolo Muani is still an unknown). Because he's been their worst signing, yet he's been a key contributor at 20 years old. Mohammed Kudus has been one of the best players in the entire Premier League through seven matchdays, Xavi Simons is already a vital player as well, and Joao Palhinha has been as good as he was in his first stint in the Premier League with Fulham.
Kudus, Simons, and Tel are all permanent members of Tottenham, and Spurs supporters are hoping that Palhinha will get the nod next. As with Tel, Tottenham have a 25-30 million pound option to make his transfer permanent, and even though he is 30, he is so important all-around and has shown so much robust athleticism that there's optimism he has many years left in the tank.
According to a report from Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is a "big fan" of the defensive midfielder, who is "unlikely" to stay at Bayern Munich after the 2025/26 season. Plettenberg reiterates an "excellent relationship" between Frank and Palhinha, as well as genuine interest from Spurs in keeping the player despite Bayern and Spurs having yet to engage in official transfer talks.
The optimism within Tottenham is apparent
Plettenberg isn't the first or even the second international transfer insider to state that Palhinha to Tottenham is expected next year, and, like Fabrizio Romano, he's caging his reporting by stating nothing is remotely close to being finalized.
But the optimism is palpable, emanating from the fanbase, locker room, and within the walls of the club itself. Palhinha is one of Tottenham's own already, showing great leadership and heart as a perfect fit for both how the supporters and how Thomas Frank wants Spurs to play.
At 25 million pounds, even if Palhinha only has, say, two years left in the tank, two years of close to world-class defensive midfield play is easily worth that kind of money when you look at the landscape of the current transfer market trends. No. 6's are increasingly important in the Premier League and Champions League, and Spurs finally have a great one.