Joao Palhinha will no doubt want to continue his journey at Tottenham beyond this season.
Palhinha joined Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich over the summer to offer defensive stability.
This came after Yves Bissouma was expected to leave Spurs before the transfer window closed, and while the Mali international is still at Hotspur Way, he does not seem to feature in Thomas Frank’s plans.
As such, Palhinha has taken on an active role in North London, forming a budding partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur in the midfield.
However, the Bayern loanee will have several obstacles to overcome during his stay with the Lilywhites.
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Tottenham News presents the exclusive opinion of iconic football commentator Ian Darke.
Joao Palhinha told he has ‘a lot to prove’ at Tottenham
Palhinha’s celebration in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw to Wolves was criticised after he tore off his shirt following a last-minute equaliser.
But that has not been the only problem Spurs have had regarding the midfielder who is currently the joint top goalscorer alongside Richarlison.
While Ian Darke – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – does not believe he’ll continue this goalscoring form, he thinks Palhinha will need to prove himself if he wants to continue in North London.
“I think this is sort of this is a little bit of a freak period in Palhinha’s career in terms of goal scoring,” Darke said.
“He isn’t noted as a goal scorer, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to me if he didn’t score again this season.
“But he’s getting himself into the scoring position. I think he’s nice and fresh and energetic. He’s got a lot to prove. They already want to sign him permanently.
“I thought he was a good signing when he came in. There were reasons he wasn’t getting through at Bayern Munich.
“So I think he’s glad to be in the Premier League. He’s glad to be firing, and I think Spurs are mighty glad to have him in there.”
How has Joao Palhinha performed at Tottenham?
The defensive midfielder has already netted three goals for the Lilywhites this season, two in the Premier League and one during Spurs’ win over Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup third round.
According to Sofascore, he has also been defensively solid.
Having a defensive midfielder who is competent in his role but also surprisingly strong going forward has given Frank a lot of options.
There is no doubt that if he continues this way, Tottenham will be looking to sign him permanently this summer.