Tottenham remain interested in signing Joao Palhinha from Sporting CP but are only willing to spend half the amount of his €40 million price tag.
According to a report from Portuguese publication Record, as relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with a move for Sporting CP’s 26-year-old midfielder Joao Palhinha. However, the Lilywhites are only willing to pay €20 million for the Portuguese international.
Palhinha, a product of the Sporting youth academy, grew into a key player for the team over the past year after a series of loan spells away at the likes of Moreirense, Belenenses, SC Braga. The 26-year-old featured in 38 games across all competitions as the Lions completed a league and cup double under Ruben Amorim.
Palhinha’s form earned him a spot in Portugal’s UEFA Euro 2020 squad as well, although he featured only sparingly during the competition. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old’s performances over the past year have led to serious interest from England as Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move.
Tottenham, after a dithering start to the summer, seem to have hit the right note, following the appointments of Nuno Espirito Santo and Fabio Paratici as manager and director, respectively. Three impressive signings in the form of Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil and Cristian Romero have been backed up by two wins in two games in the Premier League.
In addition, they have also been able to keep hold of superstar striker Harry Kane amid interest from Manchester City, until now at least. However, transfer business is far from done at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as another striker and a midfielder are being eyed up by the Lilywhites.
On paper, it would appear that Tottenham have enough options in the middle of the park with Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Giovani Lo Celso. However, among these, Sissoko is over thirty and is being linked with an exit while Winks could also depart before the transfer window closes.
As for Ndombele, he finds himself out of favour under Nuno, much like it was the case under Jose Mourinho, and could be on his way out, with Real Madrid and Barcelona among his suitors. In such a scenario, Tottenham will need to bring in another midfielder, making Palhinha, who can play as a No. 6, a viable transfer target.
While Sporting would be reluctant to sell, a bid around the €40 million mark could see them decide to cash in. However, as per the report, Tottenham are willing to go as far as €20 million only, leading to question marks over the deal going through. An alternate report from A Bola (h/t Sport Witness) claims that the Portuguese champions would be willing to lower their demands to €30 million.
However, it remains to be seen if Tottenham are willing to meet that figure or decide to explore other alternatives, with Juventus’ Weston McKennie emerging as a transfer target as well.
