Joao Palhinha was an eye-catching addition to the Tottenham squad during the summer transfer window.
The Portuguese performer checked in as one of Thomas Frank’s summer additions after he was deemed surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich.
Palhinha had helped Fulham establish themselves following promotion to the Premier League in 2022, and his form at Craven Cottage had earned him a move to Germany.
There he slid down the pecking order, however, and in the summer a number of clubs – including Chelsea and Tottenham – were keen to bring him back to the Premier League.
Tottenham ended up being successful, and now a renowned transfer expert has explained exactly why Chelsea decided to remove themselves from a deal for Palhinha.
Why Chelsea didn’t sign Joao Palhinha
When it comes to buying players, Chelsea are rarely backwards in coming forwards, with billions spent on transfer fees and agent fees in the past few years.
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They did, however, turn down the chance to land Palhinha when he was at Fulham, and now TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has explained exactly why they didn’t go for the midfielder when discussing the Blues’ interest in Julian Alvarez.
He said on TalkSPORT: “There’s talk of a hundred million euro price tag that Atletico have put on his (Alvarez’s) head.
“It’s not really the Chelsea way because he’s 25, so he’s going to be 26 next birthday.
“I know they ruled out signing Joao Palhinha when he was at Fulham because at 26, they felt he was too old.”
Palhinha needs to do more at Tottenham
Maybe it’s down to the style of play that Frank wants to play at Tottenham, but it’s fair to say that Palhinha needs to do a bit more for the team when called upon.
It’s been a frustrating period for the midfielder so far, and fans are itching to see the player who starred for Fulham and almost dragged them into European competition.
🔠How would you rank Joao Palhinha’s time at Tottenham so far. Let us know in the comments below…👇
Palhinha has made 30 appearances for Spurs this season, scoring five goals and claiming three assists from his position in the midfield engine room.
Although those numbers aren’t bad for a midfielder, there is just a small sense that he could be doing more, and hopefully, once he returns from his injury, he can hit the ground running.
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