Tottenham hold 'fresh talks' with 'physically strong' midfielder as asking price emerges

Tottenham are said to be pushing for a deal to land a new defensive midfielder as they look to step up their summer transfer activity. Thomas Frank has already been handed Mohammed Kudus, and talks are ongoing over the possible signing of Morgan Gibbs-White, but legal issues are complicating that deal.

Spurs need to improve in a number of positions as they look to compete for a European spot in the coming season, while they also need to be of Champions League quality as they prepare for a season in UEFA’s premier competition.

Frank will want to further improve his front line, and a defensive midfielder is also likely to be high on his list of desires. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr didn’t cut it last season, and the former looks the more likely of the two players to be sold this summer.

In the meantime, Tottenham are said to be pushing for a move for out of favour Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha. According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are already working on a deal for the Portugal international, while The Boot Room have reported that Spurs have held a fresh round of talks with the former Fulham star.

Tottenham may need to sanction a big sale before signing Palhinha, and Bissouma is the most likely candidate, but it seems the North London club are already doing the groundwork.

According to recent reports, Bayern will want at least £30million to consider a sale, spending around £50million on Palhinha last summer.

What Palhinha has said

Palhinha was delighted to join Bayern last summer after previously staying at Fulham on the back of a failed last-minute move months before. He said at the time: “Bayern wanted to sign me twice, and now it’s up to me to take responsibility for the club, to become a great player for this club. I’m not worried about how much money the club has spent on me or what the expectations are. My focus is on what I can do on the pitch. I’m here now and I’m going to give it my all, in every training session, in every game. That’s what I've always done in my career.”

Speaking about his playing style, he added: “There are things that I was born with. That I'm relatively tall, that I'm physically strong. But the crucial thing is that you feel inside yourself what contribution you can make on the pitch to be successful as a team. Everyone has their role. There are players who create chances and score goals. Of course I’ll try to do that too, but you also need players who prevent the opposition from scoring. My job is to provide the necessary balance.”

Since then, Palhinha has struggled for game time following the arrival of Vincent Kompany, making only 17 league appearances, but in his last address, he appeared determined to turn things around. He told SportBild: "I know my time at FC Bayern will come. That's why I work hard every day - I'm fighting for my chance.

"To be honest, I'm not interested in all the talk about me losing my patience. What is said or interpreted from the outside is not important. I am at this big club because I believe in myself. There have been many moments in my career when people have said things like: Will he make it? Will he get game time?' - we're just at the beginning.”

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