Spurs have finally found their new Luka Modric

Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha looked set to have a long-term future at the club before Roberto De Zerbi walked through the door last month.

The Portuguese played just 22 minutes in Igor Tudor's last two games in charge and was not used as a substitute in the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Palhinha has looked out of place at times in the Spurs midfield under Thomas Frank and Tudor as he is not a passer who always breaks lines and creates opportunities for his teammates.

De Zerbi, however, got the better of last week's 2-1 win over Aston Villa, as he completed 90% of his passes and won four of six duels in that game.

Speaking after the match, the Italian head coach reiterated his opinion that the central midfielder should stay at the club beyond his first loan spell with Bayern Munich.

What Roberto De Zerbi says about Joao Palhinha's future for Spurs

De Zerbi has revealed that he wants the club to sign the former Fulham star on a permanent deal with Bayern in the summer transfer window.

When asked if he wants to keep Palhinha, the manager of Spurs said: “100 percent. We have to start with those types of people. More than players, we need honest people, honest players. “Palhinha is one of the best, as a sure player and as a boy. I want to see a player with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, and the same personality, and we are lucky to have him.”

These comments suggest that Palhinha, who has scored four goals in the Premier League this season, could return to North London on a permanent deal in the summer.

The Portugal star is not the only player who is already looking better under De Zerbi, however, as another midfielder looks set to be Italy's Luka Modric.

The star of Spurs who might be Roberto De Zerbi's Luka Modric

The bright star for the Lilywhites in their win over Villa last week was midfielder Conor Gallagher, who scored a stunning long-range goal to open the scoring.

After joining Atletico Madrid for £34m in January, the England international looked out of place in a hybrid right wing and midfield role under Tudor which left him with too much space in defence.

In the last two games under De Zerbi, however, Gallagher has had a clear and defined role and now looks like a potential new Modric for Spurs in the middle of the park.

The former Chelsea star showed his quality on the ball against Wolves and Villa, losing the ball just 17 times in 179 minutes of football, and winning four goals for his team.

Modric, of course, made a name for himself in North London by providing reliable passing and a threat at the other end of the pitch, scoring 17 goals and providing 24 assists in 160 appearances for the club.

Gallagher may not go on to win the Ballon d'Or while playing for Real Madrid, but the English talent could offer similar qualities to Modric in the way he can do everything in midfield.

The 26-year-old has started all four games under De Zerbi, while Palhinha has only started one, and has proven to be more important to the team than the Portuguese star, using his power to lead the press at Spurs.

In De Zerbi's system, Gallagher has a clear role as the main player in the three midfield players which has helped him to focus on what he is best at which shows that the new coach has hit the nail on the head with him.

He has already emerged as a key player for the Italian coach, even more than Palhinha, who started one game, and now looks to have a big future at Spurs, as a Modric-esque player who can provide quality as a passer, goal threat, and pressure.