The Ange Postecoglou revolution is currently in full swing at Tottenham Hotspur, with the newly-appointed boss having already wrapped up deals for both Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison, while an agreement has also been reached for the signing of Israeli international, Manor Solomon.
The latter man is set to join on a free transfer from Ukranian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Fulham, scoring four goals from just four Premier League starts during his time at Craven Cottage.
The Portugal international only linked up with compatriot Marco Silva on a £17m deal last summer, although a promising debut campaign in English football has led to claims that he could now command close to £90m this summer.
As far as Spurs are concerned, the hope will be that a deal could be struck for around £50m – a fee that has been suggested by Football Insider – with the potential for the 27-year-old to provide Postecoglou with a stellar upgrade on academy graduate, Oliver Skipp.
Who could Palhinha replace at Tottenham?
It looks as if the ex-Celtic boss is keen to oversee a major midfield re-shuffle, with recent reports claiming that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be on his way, while talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has also suggested that the aforementioned Skipp “will be allowed to leave”, if a suitable bid arrives.
While the latter man has shown signs of promise – having reportedly been earmarked for a role in the club’s leadership group at the age of just 22 – he did endure a difficult campaign last time out, with pundit Perry Groves suggesting that both he and Hojbjerg “don’t do anything” in the centre of the park.
As such, acquiring a player who was arguably “one of the signings of the season” in 22/23 – as per Sky Sports journalist Jamie Weir – in the form of Palhinha could allow Postecoglou to send Skipp on his way ahead of the start of next term.
The differing quality between the two holding midfielders is showcased by the fact that the Fulham titan finished first in the division for tackles made (147) and unsurprisingly ranks in the top 1% for that same metric among his European peers, outlining just how brutally effective he is as a dominant screen in front of the back four.
Also described as being as “strong as an ox” by Weir, Palhinha also offers a commanding presence due to his impressive 6 foot 3 frame, with the Lisbon native also ranking in the top 8% for aerial duels won, while the current Tottenham man in just the bottom 48% in that regard.
With the experienced ace also providing the benefit of his superior threat in attack – having scored three league goals last season in contrast to Skipp’s solitary strike – it is evidently clear why Postecoglou could be considering slotting Palhinha into the base of his midfield.
If the north Londoners are to pull off that high profile swoop, then young Skipp may well be forced to pack his bags in search of pastures new…
