Tottenham holding fire on no-brainer signing as sources reveal Thomas Frank re-think | OneFootball

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Tottenham Hotspur have not yet decided whether to make Joao Palhinha’s deal permanent heading into 2026, but the player has made it clear to the club he wants to stay, TEAMtalk understands.

The 30-year-old joined Spurs on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich in the summer, making an immediate impact with his outstanding performance in the 2-0 win at Manchester City.

But, as Thomas Frank’s new-look side struggle for an identity, it remains to be seen whether Palhinha will be central to his plans going forward. And Frank’s view of Palhinha will play a significant role in whether he stays…or not.

Tottenham have a deal in place with Bayern worth around £27million, but taking on Palhinha’s wages would put him on par with the club’s highest earners.

We can confirm that Palhinha’s people have spoken to Tottenham and made it clear how happy the former Fulham man is to be back in London and he wants to remain.

However, despite the fact Palhinha would not be a huge outlay, we are told the club are yet to make any decision.

They do not want to block up the first-team pathway for the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, and we understand that another midfielder is in their sights in January.

Should Spurs add to their engine room, having already given Rodrigo Bentancur a new contract in October, then the future of Palhinha would be far from certain.

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Bentancur-Palhinha axis an issue for Frank

One of the big issues for Frank is that the Bentancur-Palhinha midfield axis has rarely worked this season, with the duo too defensive-minded and not dynamic enough in what is a high-energy area of the pitch.

That is largely why the Portugal international has found himself on the bench more often than not lately, with Bentancur partnering Gray, Bergavll or to a lesser extent Sarr, who is now away at AFCON.

Frank’s reliance on Bentancur, who has still to hit the same heights he reached before suffering an ACL injury in February 2023, is most definitely playing a part in Palhinha’s lack of game time as a result.

To that end, it’s no surprise to see why a potential re-think is on the cards, even if the player is keen on remaining in north London.

Tottenham believe the output of three key forwards will be transformed if the club land the right creative signing during the January transfer window, with sources revealing that seven top targets are being actively monitored – including the highly-rated Yan Diomande.

Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher’s loan move potential could depend on how much Atletico Madrid are willing to continue to pay towards his wages, with Manchester United and Tottenham among the clubs linked to the former Chelsea midfielder.

Finally, the agent of outstanding FC Koln attacker Said El Mala has dropped a major update on the future of the German talent, amid growing interest from a number of clubs, including north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.