Tottenham could be ready to bid for Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha amid interest from Premier League rivals.
According to Jornal de Noticias (h/t Sport Witness), Tottenham are interested in signing Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha in the summer and plan to make a bid to test Sporting CP’s resolve.
Tottenham could be entering into a decisive transfer market in recent years, with Antonio Conte expected to spearhead the charge. Spurs will surely be hoping to qualify for the Champions League through league standings to boast better chances to attract players they want.
Standing in their way, are north London rivals Arsenal, sitting two points ahead in the standings and are current favourites to finish fourth in the Premier League. Conte is expecting significant backing from the Spurs board in the summer to build the squad and turn them into title challengers in England.
The Tottenham manager is keen on bringing in players to strengthen several positions, including a wide forward, a centre-back and a central midfielder. Tottenham are now interested in signing Joao Palinha and are planning a bid for the Portuguese international.
Palhinha is also of interest to Manchester United, who are keen on the defensive midfielder. The Red Devils are understood to be targeting several other names and could place the Portuguese star on their shortlist if they cannot make headway with the other targets.
Newcastle are also reportedly keen on the Sporting CP star. He remains a key player for the Portuguese club but has seen his price tag fall from €60 million to €40 million ahead of the summer transfer window.
Tottenham could look to further negotiate on the price. However, considering the midfielder only renewed his contract in December and extended his stay until 2026, it will be difficult to convince Sporting to further reduce their asking price.
Tottenham are keeping tabs on Ruben Neves as an alternative, although Wolves’ asking price could deter them from making a move for the Premier League midfielder. They will look to target Palhinha as a cheaper alternative to Neves, although without Champions League football, any top-class target will be difficult to acquire for Spurs.
As things stand, the 26-year-old could leap towards the chance of playing Premier League football and might as well move to Spurs if their offer gets accepted by Sporting CP. With Tottenham reportedly planning an offer for Palhinha, it remains to be seen how much they offer for him in the summer.