Talks are accelerating for one Tottenham star who Roberto De Zerbi loves to join a new club in the summer transfer window.
Over the last few weeks, De Zerbi will have been working out which players he wants along with him for the ride after a disastrous couple of years for the club.
The North London outfit need a complete overhaul of their squad, and with Tottenham edging closer to securing survival, plans will now be put in place for the summer transfer window.
If Tottenham beat Chelsea during the week, they will guarantee their place in the Premier League for next season. Even a draw should be enough due to their superior goal difference over West Ham.
Then, attention will quickly turn to the summer.
Tottenham Star Close to Finding New Club
According to a report from Portuguese outlet A Bola, Tottenham midfielder Joao Palhinha is accelerating in talks to join Sporting CP ahead of the summer transfer window.
Palhinha is currently on loan at Spurs, who do have the option to buy him on a permanent basis, but it still requires the Portuguese midfielder to agree on the move.
Unfortunately for Spurs, Palhinha wants to make the move to Sporting, his boyhood club, especially after they qualified for Champions League football.
With negotiations advancing, it appears that Spurs are going to miss out on signing Palhinha on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.
And there's one man who won't be happy, and that's De Zerbi.
De Zerbi Loves Palhinha
De Zerbi has spoken publicly about his love for Palhinha, labelling him 'one of the best'. The Tottenham boss also confirmed that he wants the Portuguese midfielder to remain at the club heading into the 2026/2027 campaign.
“One hundred per cent [he wants Palhinha to stay]. We have to start from this type of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy. I want to see the players with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, the same personality, and we are lucky to have Palhinha with us.”
There's no doubt, De Zerbi will be asking the club to activate the buy option to sign Palhinha on a permanent basis, but he doesn't appear to be too keen on remaining in north London.