Stats show that one Tottenham summer signing this season has outperformed every other player in the Premier League in two big areas of the game, and it’s by a huge margin.
Tottenham Hotspur have kicked off the season impressively under new boss Thomas Frank, sitting third in the Premier League table with 17 points from nine games.
The Tottenham manager will certainly credit the club’s work in the summer transfer window, which turned out to be the 2nd most expensive in the club’s history, with a £124.9 million net spend.
One player who’s proven to be a massive hit already is Joao Palhinha, brought in on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich after a tough spell in the Bundesliga.
It’s no secret that Spurs have been crying out for a proper number six for quite some time, and the Portuguese international has stepped up exactly as needed.
The former Fulham man has quickly become a regular in Frank’s strongest XI, and he’s already Tottenham’s joint-second top scorer this season despite rarely venturing into advanced areas.
Stats show how good Joao Palhinha has been for Tottenham
One big talking point when Palhinha’s move was being finalised was his record during his two seasons at Fulham, where he racked up 300 Premier League tackles between 2022 and 2024, which was also 109 more than any other player in that period. After his return to English football, it feels as if he never left behind that record for anyone to break.
According to Squawka, Joao Palhinha has made at least eight more tackles than any other player in the Premier League this season (39).
Back at Fulham, he also had a history of picking up bookings and suspensions, but this time, we have rarely seen him put a foot wrong in tackles, as that comes with experience.
That said, Squawka also revealed that he has the best success rate of any midfielder to contest 75+ duels this season (63.46%), which explains why he’s only been booked twice despite going all in for tackles across 14 matches so far
Will Joao Palhinha stay at Tottenham next season?
The good news for fans is that the club included a £26 million option to buy in his loan deal, and reports suggest Spurs could even open talks with Bayern Munich as early as January rather than waiting until summer.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Bayern, Tottenham, and Palhinha himself are all open to a deal beyond this season. However, he also made it clear that it’s still too early for formal discussions to begin.
From Bayern’s side, they’re unlikely to stand in his way given their strong depth in Palhinha’s position. Joshua Kimmich remains their main holding midfielder after signing a long-term deal, while Leon Goretzka and Konrad Laimer are both enjoying strong campaigns.
That gives Tottenham every reason to believe a permanent deal is realistic. However, given Palhinha’s age and the club’s long-term planning, Spurs will likely negotiate.
But if all goes well, the Portuguese midfielder should be wearing white again next season. Perhaps not for the long term, but for at least another couple of years, and that would suit everyone just fine.