Tottenham Hotspur have the option to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis at the end of the season, but ex-Portugal star Pedro Mendes has suggested he could join a different Premier League club.
Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been delighted with Joao Palhinha for much of this season, as the midfielder has impressed with his defensive contributions. He has also shown himself to be useful in other areas, registering four goals and three assists in all competitions.
However, Palhinha has faced some criticism due to how much of his game is based around winning the ball, rather than carrying it forward and starting attacking moves.
The 30 year old’s partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur has also been under scrutiny, with pundits and fans alike suggesting they do not work well together due to their attacking limitations.
Nuno Mendes backs Manchester United to sign Joao Palhinha
Palhinha has been benched twice since the international break in November and former Tottenham midfielder Nuno Mendes has indicated that Manchester United should attempt to sign him.
Speaking to Boyle Sports, as quoted by Metro, he said: “Palhinha at Man Utd? Well, why not?
“To be fair, I think Manuel Ugarte is more or less the same type of player as Palhinha, [but] Palhinha is an option if they want to replace him.
“We are not sure what is going to happen to Casemiro, so I think it [Manchester United signing Palhinha] could work.
“Joao Palhinha is the typical Premier League number six, that defensive midfielder who just sweeps up everything in front of the defenders.”
Mendes has claimed Palhinha is struggling at Spurs, despite the many positive comments he has received. According to the former Premier League player, this is because of the club’s style of football.
“If you have a team that has a lot of possession, he’s a little bit out of his game, from my point of view,” Mendes continued.
“The players around him will shine more than him because, as you said, he just wins the ball, passes it away, tackles the ball, passes it. He’s fantastic at doing that role. He was fantastic at Fulham.
“At Bayern Munich, when you have 70% or 60% of ball possession most of the games, you don’t need to do that kind of job.
“Because normally teams play counter-attack or don’t have that type of possession against you, his strength is a little bit forgotten.
“He has more of the ball and he needs to be more involved in the game, and to be fair, it’s not his main strength.
“So probably that’s why he struggled at Bayern and at Spurs at the moment. I like what I saw in some games this year from him, but it’s different from Fulham.”
Palhinha is not the midfielder Tottenham fans want to see depart
There have been concerns raised about how effective Palhinha’s game will be if Thomas Frank attempts to be braver and more attacking-minded, but the Portugal international is still a very good player.
Most Tottenham supporters have been pleased with his performances this season and would be happy to see him signed on a permanent basis.
In contrast, Bentancur is under a lot of pressure due to his displays this season and if he was linked with a move away from North London, there would not be many complaints.
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