Spurs will reportedly bid for £34m star in a few weeks, Conte could have his very own Fabinho - TBR View

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Tottenham Hotspur could do with bolstering their midfield ranks this summer.

Dele Alli left permanently in January, while Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso face uncertain futures.

The latter two players are out on loan and it remains to be seen whether Antonio Conte wants them in his squad.

In addition, Harry Winks’ future at Tottenham is also uncertain amid links with Southampton and Crystal Palace.

Tottenham are currently being linked with one midfielder who’d no doubt arrive to much fanfare.

That player is Sporting Lisbon ace Joao Palhinha, one of the Primeira Liga’s most talented players.

Spurs are reportedly planning to steal a march on their competition by making a bid for him this month.

This is according to Portuguese outlet Jornal de Noticias, via Sport Witness.

Palhinha is apparently the ‘ideal element’ for Conte to improve the Tottenham midfield.

Although Jornal de Noticias doesn’t say how much Tottenham plan to bid, it claims they’re aware of his price tag.

The player’s valuation reportedly was €60m (around £50.5m) in January but has now dropped to €40m (around £34m).

Spurs are apparently waiting on their final Premier League table position before swooping for Palhinha.

Champions League qualification would be ‘decisive’ to convince the player, added Jornal de Noticias.

“He is a special player”

Tottenham fans should be thrilled about their club’s apparent decision to swoop for Palhinha this month.

It shows initiative and intent to not only bolster their ranks but also get in ahead of other suitors.

With the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Wolves reportedly lurking, this is important.

And of course, Palhinha is a top talent who’s due a move to one of the world’s top leagues.

He has made 92 appearances for Sporting and has also won 12 caps for Portugal.

Fans have previously compared Palhinha to the likes of Nemanja Matic, Fabinho and Michael Carrick.

“The credit goes to Palhinha, who grew up this way,” Sporting boss Ruben Amorim said in 2021.

“I tell Palhinha many times that he is very good without the ball and with the ball.

“More than tactical (details), I get it into Palhinha’s head that he is a special player.”

“He plays the holding role and he plays it well”

In April, The Athletic published a scouting report on Palhinha and Sporting teammate Matheus Nunes.

“The first thing you notice about Palhinha is his stature,” wrote Tim Spiers, the outlet’s Wolves correspondent.

“He’s 6ft 2in without heels and is what your dad might call a ‘strapping lad’.

“He wins a lot of tackles, he wins a lot of interceptions, he plays the holding role and he plays it well.

“Palhinha is aggressive and physical in duels, both on the ground and in the air.

“He’s got good positional sense and he’s pretty handy in possession too.

“He hasn’t got the vision or variation of Neves, but he does share one trait: long-range passing.”