Tottenham could suffer a blow in keeping hold of Joao Palhinha, who could join his former side, Sporting CP, for personal reasons.
Joao Palhinha is a player that Roberto De Zerbi wants to keep beyond his loan spell, but Tottenham could suffer a blow in this pursuit. As per reports in Portugal via Sport Witness, the midfielder could be interested in a switch back to his old club Sporting CP for personal reasons in the summer.
Tottenham were boosted by the consecutive wins they posted over Wolves and Aston Villa, which has eased relegation fears to an extent. Should they end up staying safe at the expense of West Ham United, Roberto De Zerbi could plan out a big transfer window in the summer, which involves retaining a few key stars while spending correctly on recruits.
De Zerbi wants to keep hold of midfielder Joao Palhinha, and he has insisted this could be a necessary signing for Spurs in the summer. The Portuguese midfielder is on loan from Bayern Munich, with Tottenham ready to open talks in a bid to reduce his asking price, which is around the €30 million mark via a buy option in the loan deal.
While Spurs know the importance of keeping hold of the experienced midfielder, there is a new twist emerging in the background that could see the north Londoners suffer a big blow in their pursuit. Palhinha is now eager to return to his former side, Sporting CP, for personal reasons, which may scupper an effort from Tottenham to keep hold of the player.
Sporting have been keeping tabs on Palhinha’s situation, and the report states the midfielder is eager to be close to his family and children moving forward. There are multiple reasons why he is staying separately from his immediate family, but now he wants to explore the possibility of being close to them, which involves the idea of rejoining his former side.
Can Sporting CP Sign Joao Palhinha?
Sporting CP are likely to change their midfield in the summer, with key man Hidemasa Morita now close to joining Leeds United in a Bosman move. There are also suggestions that Morten Hjulmand may move away from Estadio Jose Alvalade, which would require the Portuguese club to strengthen adequately to keep the quality in the middle strong.
The €30 million asking price might play a huge role, with the report stating Sporting are confident of reducing the fee. As for Tottenham, they might continue to work towards convincing Palhinha to stay put, and in the event of the player making a decision to return to Sporting, Spurs may have to find an alternative target in the market.
