Tottenham 'unlikely' to keep one of their best performers despite bargain opportunity
Tottenham are said to be on course to make a decision that might divide opinion among fans.
Tottenham are reportedly set to make a transfer decision that will likely split opinion among fans. Spurs are in an uncertain situation as they continue to battle relegation and, for now, without a manger.
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Interim boss Igor Tudor was sacked after failing to make any sort of impact, and Tottenham are now searching for a new boss that they believe will be able to save them from dropping into the Championship.
Robert De Zerbi appears to be the leading candidate, likely to be offered a long-term deal, but Tottenham need to convince him to walk into a chaotic situation now rather than waiting until the summer.
Whoever is in charge of Tottenham going into the summer will have to make some big recruitment decisions, with this squad in need of an overhaul. There are likely to be significant exits this summer, but it’s also likely that the next manager will get money to spend, given Spurs cannot ignore back-to-back bottom half seasons.
One recruitment decisions Tottenham will have to make going into the summer involves midfielder Joao Palhinha, who is on loan from Bayern Munich. Palhinha is on loan with a 30million euro (£26m) option to buy. Palhinha has been one of the more steady performers for Spurs this season, and WhoScored agree, rating his performances at an average of 6.75. That puts him third on the list of best Tottenham performers, only behind Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero.
But with Tottenham battling relegation and with no knowing what the next manager will think of Palhinha, Bild report that the midfielder is ‘unlikely’ to be kept permanently. They say the uncertainty means Spurs are unlikely to activate their option to buy, and that Palhinha is currently on course to return to Bayern, where he struggled for starts following a big-money move from Fulham in 2024. Palhinha has already made more appearances with Tottenham than he did with Bayern, with 26 league outings this season compared to 17 in Germany.
For Spurs, the decision would be a surprising one given how hard it is to sign a reliable holding midfielder for as little as £26million, and Yves Bissouma is also likely to leave the club this summer when his contract expires.