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Joao Palhinha has given an interesting response when asked about making a permanent switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

The 30-year-old has hit the ground running at Tottenham after his loan move from Bayern Munich in the summer as one of the club’s better performers in an inconsistent campaign for Thomas Frank’s side.

Palhinha has reclaimed his crown as the best tackler in the Premier League, after excelling in the trait during his previous stint in England with Fulham.

According to reports, Tottenham have a £26m option to sign Palhinha permanently at the end of the season, and the midfielder has now given his thoughts on making the switch to N17.

Joao Palhinha admits he is happy to be at Tottenham

The 30-year-old confessed that he is loving life at the North London club and feels a connection with Tottenham supporters.

However, he pointed out that the decision on whether to make the move permanent is not entirely in his hands.

When told that Spurs fans want to know if he will make a permanent switch, Palhinha told The Guardian: “They should ask the owner or [the sporting directors] Fabio [Paratici] or Johan [Lange] … not myself.

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“Of course, this is like a marriage. Both parts need to want [it]. I am really glad [to be] here. I feel the support from the supporters, as well, which is really special. We have until the end of the season. You know how it is in football.”

Palhinha has an agreement in principle with Spurs

According to some reports, Palhinha already has an agreement in principle with Tottenham on a contract until 2029 ahead of the North London club’s decision on the midfielder’s purchase option.

It has even been suggested by some journalists that Spurs could activate the option to sign Palhinha in January rather than waiting until next summer.

One would think that the chances of the move being done in January would only increase if the Portugal international continues performing in the same vein.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy has statistically been one of the worst across the Premier League for producing first-team players recently.

There is plenty of young talent in the Spurs academy right now, with Mikey Moore being tipped for a big future at Tottenham.

There is also excitement at Hotspur Way about Luca Williams-Barnett, who has been tearing up youth football for the last few years and was handed his debut by Thomas Frank in a Carabao Cup clash back in September.

However, the one thing that will worry Spurs fans about the duo’s development is the poor record that the North London club have in transitioning young talents to the first-team set up.

Tottenham’s academy is not producing enough first-team players

The Telegraph’s Matt Law has now dug up the numbers and revealed that the Lilywhites fare very poorly compared to their rivals when it comes to academy players becoming first-team fixtures.

He points to the example of Arsenal, where Hale End products such as Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri are key first-team players.

In contrast, Law reveals that just three Tottenham academy graduates have made 30 league appearances or more since 2012, the year Kane and Andros Townsend made their League debuts.

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Those are Ryan Mason, Harry Winks, and Harry Skipp, while Japhet Tanganga and Kyle Walker-Peters have made 27 and 12 appearances, respectively.

It is revealed that Tottenham had the fifth-lowest percentage of minutes given to homegrown players (1.3) in the Premier League last season.

Spurs are one of just four clubs, along with Burnley, Brentford and Everton, yet to give a single minute of league action to a homegrown product this term.

Spurs insider claims academy was not prioritised by Daniel Levy

Law reveals that the Tottenham academy’s low output has been a source of frustration at the club for a long time.

One club source told the journalist that the decisions made by former chairman Daniel Levy ended up de-prioritising a pathway from the academy to the first-team.

The source is quoted as saying: “Daniel talked a good game about the academy, but he seemed to think he could build Hotspur Way and the players would just magically appear. The scouting and recruitment was behind Tottenham’s rivals, and the investment just wasn’t there in terms of wages that young players could get elsewhere.

“The appointments of José Mourinho, Nuno [Espírito Santo] and Antonio Conte set the club back years in terms of the academy. Jose and Antonio were given the brief of winning as quickly as possible, so it was understandable that they weren’t really focused on the future or the academy.

“Jose was asked to show he could give a pathway to young players, and he picked out Dane Scarlett, but there was a feeling it was to show people he was trying.”

Darren Anderton has compared Tottenham’s spell under Christian Gross to their current spell under Thomas Frank and has given his verdict on whose football is worse

Tottenham Hotspur supporters want to see their side play front-foot football, and Thomas Frank is very well aware of that.

The Dane has received flak for his pragmatic style of football, with Spurs supporters booing him off against Chelsea in the Premier League, while his substitution of Xavi Simons for Mathys Tel was also met with boos in the league against United.

Frank undoubtedly has to improve on this, but one former player believes that football under the Dane is far from awful, comparing it to another Spurs boss.

Darren Anderton compares Tottenham spell under Christian Gross to Thomas Frank

The Sun shared comments from Darren Anderton, and he drew a clear comparison between what he experienced under Christian Gross and what Spurs are seeing now under Thomas Frank.

The former Tottenham boss endured a short spell in the dugout in north London, lasting for less than a year, having won ten of his thirty games.

Anderton explained how the long-ball and numbers-heavy approach used during that spell did not align with what Tottenham traditionally represent, and he then contrasted that with what he feels Spurs are doing now.

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He said: “In my time, we had Christian Gross, who was so long ball and stats and everything else. It was awful. It definitely was not going to work and it was not the Tottenham way.”

“With Thomas Frank, we are not playing bad football. We are just finding it very difficult to break down teams at home. That is frustrating for players and fans.”

“They are missing certain players, like James Maddison, a player that can unlock defences. Mauricio Pochettino had Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Mousa Dembele. No disrespect to the players that we have now, but they are not as gifted.

“They do not have that guile to break teams down like those boys used to. The way we are playing, I am pretty happy with that as we are winning without playing well. It takes time. I would definitely urge the fans to be patient.”

Why Spurs fans need to be patient with Franl

Thomas Frank believes that he needs time to build this Tottenham squad in his image, having spent a little over five months as Spurs boss.

The Dane, during his time at Brentford, was able to mix things up, playing front-foot football alongside being pragmatic in certain games.

We have glimpses of how good football can be under Frank, especially in the Super Cup tie against PSG, where Tottenham took the game to the Parisians.

However, consistency is the problem with his team, but should injured players return, this could definitely improve.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of a highly-rated Brazilian forward has just got a lot trickier as one of the biggest clubs in Europe has entered the race for his signature.

Tottenham officials have said that the club are now prioritising readymade players rather than young, up-and-coming ones.

However, that does not mean Spurs are not on the lookout for the best young talent from around the world, as evidenced by their acquisitions of Kota Takai and Mathys Tel in the summer.

It has been widely reported over recent months that Tottenham are closely watching Vasco Da Gama starlet Rayan, whose reputation has exploded in Brazilian football.

Some sources have even suggested that Spurs explored getting a work permit for Rayan ahead of a potential January move, but the Lilywhites now have their work cut out to sign the forward.

Bayern Munich enter the race for Tottenham target Rayan

It was previously reported that Arsenal are also keeping their eyes on Rayan’s development, but it turns out that it is not just their North London rivals who Spurs have to be concerned about in the race for the Vasco man.

This is according to Bild, who say that Bayern Munich have now joined the race for the Brazilian forward ahead of the January window.

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The outlet says that Rayan is expected to be the next big Brazilian export to Europe after scoring 12 goals in 31 games in the Brazilian top flight this season, with Bayern now keen on taking the teenager to the Allianz Arena.

How much would Spurs have to pay for Rayan?

Rayan has a release clause of €40m (£34.3m) in his contract at Vasco Da Gama, but Thomas Frank’s men may have to pay more to land the player.

This is because some sources have claimed that Vasco Da Gama are working on tying the Tottenham target down to a new contract.

Tottenham Hotspur are still monitoring Ademola Lookman, who has had quite the turbulent season at Atalanta.

Tottenham have been linked with Lookman on and off for more than a year, with the Atalanta star previosuly showing signs of unhappiness at his current club.

Rumours have begun to circulate once more, with Spurs montioring Lookman’s situation after he already handed in transfer requests on two separate occasions.

However, Tottenham now face competition for Lookman from Turkish giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

The latter attempted to sign the Nigerian international in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Ademola Lookman drops hint on potential Atalanta exit

Lookman was publicly slammed by ex-Atalanta manager Ivan Juric earlier in the season. More recently, the pair were engaged in a spat on the sidelines during a Champions League fixture against Marseille. However, Juric has since been sacked by the Serie A club.

According to Quotidiano Sportivo, Lookman has now re-added a reference to Atalanta on his Instagram account, which comes after he removed any mention of the club from his profile during the summer, as he pushed for a move elsewhere.

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It is not yet known whether this means Lookman is looking to remain with Atalanta, but Tottenham are continuing to keep an eye on his situation.

Lookman could be an affordable option for Spurs

Lookman’s current contract expires in 2027 and Tottenham could look to secure a cut-price deal on the player if he does not sign a new one.

However, Napoli are now said to have joined the race for the attacker, so there is competition that Spurs must seek to squash.

Should Lookman choose to continue pushing for a move, a loan move with an obligation to buy could be on the cards as early as January.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and we have now highlighted our three winners and losers from the derby day defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur hit a new low this season following their 4-1 drubbing against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Spurs have often struggled to secure victory in their visits across London, but losing 4-1 against the Gunners in a game where Tottenham barely laid a glove on Arsenal is never a good watch for fans.

Spurs are now hovering over the bottom half of the table, and should United secure a win against Everton, then Frank’s side could crash below.

Still, there were a few winners and losers from that league fixture, and here are our picks.

ENIC cannot hide in the January window

While it was a painful watch for many Tottenham supporters, last night’s heavy defeat could be a silent blessing in disguise.

If anyone thought that this Spurs team had enough quality to compete with the best in this division, the 4-1 defeat served as a bitter reminder of how far behind Tottenham actually is from the top.

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Tottenham need to strengthen their squad, not with quantity but with quality players that can have an impact on these sorts of games.

It is over to ENIC, who simply cannot hide in the January transfer window, as Tottenham fans will demand more and better signings.

Xavi Simons simply has to start against his former side, PSG

Xavi Simons has struggled in a Tottenham shirt, with the Dutchman yet to find the back of the net for Spurs since his summer move.

With confidence low and consistency hard to come by, Frank opted against the 22-year-old against Arsenal, who could very much have struggled with the physicality in midfield.

A 3-4-3 formation was instead deployed, with a centre-back coming in and Simons dropping to the bench.

Wilson Odobert also got the nod off the left, a position Frank has also deployed Simons in since his move to England.

Those two tweaks did not yield any result, as Odobert was a passenger for most of the game against Arsenal, while Kevin Danso was hooked off after half-time as Arsenal ran riot at the top of the pitch.

Tottenham did not have any sort of creativity as they packed eight players behind the ball with no game plan. Simons benefits from this defeat, as Frank simply will have to consider bringing him back into this squad.

The playmaker needs consistent game time if he is to find form and get in a rhythm. Next up is PSG, and he could be in line for a start against the Parisians.

The Tottenham fans who could not get a ticket

Many Spurs fans were scrambling on social media pre-match trying to secure a ticket to the Emirates, but in the end, they will be thankful they were not there in person to witness eleven players failing to play for the badge in the biggest game of the season.

It simply cannot happen again, as supporters pay big money and expect those on the pitch to at least show some passion and effort.

Vicario issued an apology for the Spurs’ display, but the fans who saved their money will be glad they did not witness that sorry performance.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham…

Thomas Frank is under pressure from fans after tactical decisions

Frank is definitely one of the biggest losers from this encounter, given how the game transpired. A victory over Tottenham’s biggest rivals will have endeared him to the Tottenham supporters, who have not been scared to give him some flak.

A defeat, however, was the outcome and with that comes pressure from supporters. Some fans believe that Thomas Frank has not been honest with them.

The Dane promised front-foot aggressive football, but the exact opposite is what has been on display for Tottenham this season against any top side.

There are already calls from fans for Frank to be sacked on social media, and if results do not improve, the writing could be on the wall.

Rodrigo Bentancur spent most of the afternoon chasing shadows

Another loser is Rodrigo Bentancur, who had a poor afternoon. Tottenham struggled to deal with the fluidity of Arsenal’s attackers.

Merino playing as a false nine and drifting all over the place left Bentancur doing nothing but chasing shadows.

Eze was also ruthless, but the Uruguayan could have done a lot better for the Arsenal playmaker’s first goal, where he dribbled and let fly.

That pivot partnership of Bentancur and Palhinha has received loads of criticism, with stats also backing the claim that it hinders Tottenham’s attacking play.

The duo, however, are meant to bring defensive solidity but that has not been the case, and now is the time for Frank to drop it.

When Pape Matar Sarr is fully fit, he should be getting the nod ahead of Bentancur.

Consistency from referees

Speaking about refereeing decisions after losing 4-1 seems like picking at straws and making excuses, but it is worth a mention still.

The second goal from Arsenal simply should not have stood, as not one but two Arsenal players were blocking the path of Vicario.

We have seen that ruled out for blocking the keeper’s eye line in other matches, and if the officiating in England is to improve, then there needs to be consistency in decisions.

Tottenham Hotspur are positioning themselves for a significant financial opportunity in 2028, as experts believe the club could be set for a major revenue boost.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the most profitable clubs in football, and that comes as no surprise given how tight a ship the club had been run by Daniel Levy for over two decades.

Spurs do not tend to splash the cash on big signings compared to other big six clubs and operate with a strict wage structure, alongside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which generates millions of pounds in revenue every season.

The club’s ownership is often praised for the financial model they run from a business perspective, while fans continue to criticise the lack of ambition shown in recent years.

Regardless, the club will always look for ways to maximise profits, and reports suggest that an opportunity is set to come in 2028, with England set to host the Euros that year.

Tottenham Euro 2028 revenue predictions from finance expert

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one of the venues designated to host games in the European tournament in 2028.

Football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley now believes that there is a chance for extra revenue for clubs set to host games, including Spurs, and it could be bigger than first expected.

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Speaking to Football Insider, the football finance expert explained how the financial picture works for clubs involved and why the main gains come from areas around the stadium rather than from UEFA itself.

He said: “So they do not make a lot of money. UEFA in a European championship will take the majority of the ticket money.”

“It is their tournament, and these clubs are obviously hosting on UEFA’s behalf. It is more about the wider picture here and how you can leverage that and how that potentially benefits the club.”

“And if you look at Newcastle as an example, there are others in there where we will see something similar. Newcastle have built a kind of purpose-built fan park next door that they own a proportion of and can generate from.”

“If you start to look at the fan parks and things like that and how you can attach them to the club while you are looking at selling club merchandise, for international and travelling fans.”

“That is how you can get some leverage from the club side, to provide a financial boost. You are not going to get the bulk of the ticket sales.

“You know, that is with UEFA, so there is a financial benefit, but it is not as big as perhaps people may think.

“It is more about that wider exposure and, obviously, eyes on screen as well all the way around Europe and all the way around the world. And the prestige factor of being able to host an event like that.

“So a lot of the financial boost is secondary, and a lot of it is also wrapped up in the intangible benefits of hosting.”

Areas where Tottenham may find further financial growth

Tottenham Hotspur have a diverse fanbase, and extra exposure will do the club no harm as they aim to attract more fans.

However, while hosting games in Euros 2028 will not fetch a lot of direct revenue, Spurs still have other avenues to explore to maximise the financial potential of their stadium.

Spurs are yet to secure a naming rights deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and, should they eventually strike an agreement, it will fetch them a significant sum.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has weighed in on the decision to allow Eberechi Eze’s first goal to stand in Tottenham’s 4-1 loss to Arsenal.

The Lilywhites were completely dominated by their North London rivals at the Emirates, with Thomas Frank being handed a serious wake-up call.

The idea that his defensive approach made Tottenham a formidable side away from home was blown out of the water over the 90 minutes, with Spurs looking completely toothless against their fierce rivals.

However, there was one controversial call in the game that went against Frank’s side, and the decision has left a former official flabbergasted.

Eberechi Eze’s goal against Tottenham should have been ruled out

The controversy was about Eberechi Eze’s first and Arsenal’s second of the night on 41 minutes.

The England international found space inside the Tottenham box and slammed the ball into the back of the net, but replays showed that two Arsenal players, who were in offside positions, were in Guglielmo Vicario’s eyeline.

VAR did not intervene to rule the goal offside after the on-field officials gave the goal, and Gallagher admitted that he finds it hard to understand the call.

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Gallagher told Sky Sports: “This is what I don’t understand. I think both of those players are in the goalkeeper’s eyeline. I’m told because they peel away from that, they’re not impacting.”

Former Coventry striker Jay Bothroyd added about the decision: “That’s probably the worst decision. They are directly in the keeper’s eyeline. When I saw that, straight away I said that would be offside.

“That is the most obvious one. He’s looking straight down the ball and there are two players in his eyeline. That’s why I don’t understand it.”

The laws regarding players interfering with play need to be simplified

The issue of whether a player is in the goalkeeper’s eyeline is open to interpretation, with different officials seeing specific incidents differently.

The authorities may need to look into simplifying the law for the sake of consistency.

For example, changing the law to say the goal will be ruled out if any player who is in an offside position and ahead of the shot is between the width of the posts when the shot is taken, would make it black and white.

While it will initially lead to a few unnecessary offsides, it will eventually force strikers to avoid being in an offside position within the width of the post when their teammate is about to take a shot.

Thomas Frank is selling Tottenham Hotspur fans false promises in relation to his team’s setup and it has reached a point where everyone can see through him.

Any Tottenham Hotspur supporter who expected their team to get a result at the Emirates Stadium must be quite the optimist. Even before the days of Thomas Frank, Spurs were on a run of poor results at the home ground of their bitter rivals.

However, Sunday’s North London derby felt like a new low and this was due to the nature of Tottenham’s defeat. There was no attacking intent from the very start and according to The xG Philosophy, Spurs created 0.00 xG in the first half. They also failed to land a shot on target and completed just 15 successful passes in Arsenal’s half of the pitch.

Joao Palhinha and Richarlison did provide one moment of brilliance later in the match, but overall it was yet another diabolical display in a London derby.

Tottenham fans expect answers

Like Frank, Ange Postecoglou had a poor record against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea and many of Tottenham’s displays in his second Premier League campaign were as bad as it gets. However, at least the Aussie was transparent and stuck to his attacking principles. Spurs fans might not have always liked what they saw, but they knew exactly what they were getting.

Frank on the other hand continues to say one thing in his press conferences and then proceeds to get his team doing the exact opposite, particularly against the bigger clubs in England.

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Upon his arrival in North London, Frank expressed his desire for Tottenham to be aggressive and attack. He even made the excellent point that it can be risky not to take risks, as previously displayed by the likes of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo.

Ironically, Frank has continuously set Spurs up in the most negative way possible, with risks seemingly discouraged. Clearly he wanted his side to defend for 90 minutes against Arsenal and was waiting for a set piece where Tottenham might score a goal.

Frank either needs to put his money where his mouth is, or start being truthful about how he actually wants to play the game. Any suggestion that the Dane is an attacking minded manager is nonsensical drivel and no Spurs supporter at this point is naive enough to believe the bosses’ rhetoric.

Frank is not a dynamic manager

Since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure all those years ago, Tottenham have not had a manager who causes his team to adapt based on the circumstances at hand. Mourinho, Santo and Antonio Conte were all far too negative in their approaches, while Postecoglou was often guilty of being too extreme in the opposite direction.

Frank was thought to be the man who would finally bring balance back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with heaps of praise coming his way after the Manchester City victory. Unfortunately, the only way he now adapts is to decide how far along the negativity scale he wants Spurs to play.

Tottenham used the same stand off tactics against Arsenal which cost them in the latter stages of the UEFA Super Cup. The main difference is what was once a strategy to see out a game has now become the primary function from the first blow of the referee’s whistle until the last.

It seems Frank has not woken up to the fact he is managing a far bigger and more successful club than Brentford. The Tottenham way is to be bold, not timid, yet time and time again they cower in the face of a strong opposition.

If Frank wants to keep setting up this way, that is ultimately his decision and he will not last long in the job if he does. However, he needs to be honest and explain this is how he is choosing to play the game. All this talk of bravery and aggression just feels like a distraction to cover up the fact he is out of his depth at Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur were left red-faced at the Emirates Stadium, and Les Ferdinand has now delivered a scathing assessment after watching Arsenal dismantle Thomas Frank’s side with ease.

Thomas Frank was made to eat his words on Sunday afternoon as Eberechi Eze reminded the Tottenham Hotspur boss exactly who he was.

Ahead of the north London derby, when Frank was questioned about the Arsenal playmaker, he replied by asking, “Who is Eze?”, but it was the midfielder who had the last laugh as he grabbed a hat trick.

Indeed, it was a performance that left a lot to be desired from a Tottenham perspective, with Frank’s side showing no fight or spirit as they fell to a 4-1 defeat in the most important game of their season, according to Frank.

Les Ferdinand slams Tottenham’s approach

Les Ferdinand has now delivered a brutal verdict on Tottenham’s performance, making it clear that he felt Spurs set themselves up far too passively against their rivals.

In his assessment, Ferdinand highlighted how Tottenham had shown a more front-footed approach in Europe in the Super Cup against PSG, yet failed to produce anything similar at the Emirates Stadium, before expanding on the tactical issues he felt Frank got wrong.

Speaking on the game, he told Sky Sports Main Event (23/11/25): “When they came here today with a five at the back, you think to yourself, ‘If you can perform like you performed against PSG’, have a go.

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“It wasn’t a negative five at the back [against PSG], it was a front-footed; go and have a go, and press people.

“They came here, sat back, and allowed Arsenal to come wave after wave. Arsenal didn’t even get out of third gear. Let us not say this was a five-star performance. The scoreline is five-star. They didn’t have to [put in a five-star showing].

“There was no fight, there was no bite. This is north London. You expect a little bit of spark; a little bit of something. Arsenal had three players that had never played in a north London derby before, Tottenham probably had one.

“There was nothing. Nothing that those players did out there felt like a north London derby to me.”

Spurs creativity issues deepen after heavy derby defeat

Tottenham were not just poor at the back in this league fixture, as Frank’s side also struggled going forward.

Spurs’ performance against Arsenal was their worst creative showing in over ten years, as it took a strike from the halfway line for the Lilywhites to get on the scoresheet.

In the derby game, Tottenham managed just three shots, an xG of 0.07, four touches in the opposition box, 120 touches in the opposition half and 52 passes in the final third, which summed up a flat all-round display by Frank’s men, who disappointed in equal measure in both defence and attack.