Tottenham plot Joao Palhinha move as LAFC want Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min helped Spurs win the Europa League last season, the club’s first European trophy in 41 years - PA/Nick Potts
Tottenham Hotspur are working on a deal to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich and have received an offer from Los Angeles FC for club captain Son Heung-min.
Sources in Europe believe there is a strong possibility that Spurs will be able to reach an agreement for Palhinha, the former Fulham midfielder, but they may need to sell one of their existing players first.
The future of Son, meanwhile, has been uncertain throughout this summer and LAFC have now made their move for the 33-year-old.
But Son’s situation is unlikely to be resolved until after the club’s pre-season tour, in large part because of the “key player clause” in their summer trip to South Korea.
Telegraph Sport reported earlier this week that Spurs would miss out on as much as 75 per cent of their fee for playing in Seoul if Son is not part of the touring squad.
Interest in Palhinha is also not expected to be finalised in advance of the Asia tour, which begins on Sunday. Spurs are well-stocked with central midfielders and would like one of their existing options to leave in order to create space for a move for Palhinha.
Tottenham would need to get at least one central midfielder out of the door before signing Joao Palhinha - Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox
Yves Bissouma is regarded as the most likely candidate to depart the club, as he has now entered the final year of his contract in north London. He also plays in the same defensive midfield role as Palhinha.
Spurs are not alone among English clubs in admiring Palhinha, who moved to Bayern from Fulham last summer in a deal worth around £42 million. The 30-year-old has not been able to make the desired impact in Germany, in part because of fitness issues.
Telegraph Sport understands that Arsenal showed strong interest in Palhinha earlier this summer and explored the conditions of a possible deal, before instead pivoting to sign Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard.
Move for 30-year-old a policy change for Spurs
If Spurs are able to agree a permanent deal for Palhinha, it would mark the first time in almost a decade that they have paid a transfer fee for an outfielder aged 30 or older. The last time it happened was in the summer of 2017, when they bought striker Fernando Llorente from Swansea City.
In recent seasons, especially, Spurs have prioritised young talent. Indeed, they signed five teenagers last season.
A move for Palhinha would therefore represent a brief step away from this transfer policy. For that reason, it should probably be seen as an acceptance that Spurs are in need of more experience and leadership in the squad.
But their interest is also a reflection of Palhinha’s reputation and quality as a midfielder. During his two seasons in the Premier League with Fulham, he established himself as one of the most consistent and combative players in the division.
Few players in the Premier League in recent seasons have been as adept at reading the game and shutting down opposition attacks. On top form, Palhinha is a monstrous defensive presence in front of the defence, using his long legs to crunch into tackles and intercept passes.
He is perhaps less expansive on the ball than some managers would like (and this could have contributed to his struggles at Bayern) but there is no doubt that Palhinha would provide a steeliness and reliability that Spurs were so often missing last season.
If new head coach Thomas Frank is looking to make Spurs a more resilient and versatile team, then a player of Palhinha’s skill set would offer more flexibility and ruggedness. One can certainly imagine Frank being inclined to deploy Palhinha in midfield against teams such as Manchester City and Liverpool, for example.
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