Finally, Tottenham Hotspur are starting to behave like the big boys. It's been a long time coming after falling back to 17th place in the Premier League, times are changing.
Spurs know they need to change their attitude and so far under Roberto De Zerbi, the Lilywhites have greatly improved their squad.
The jewel in the crown will not only be Mateus Fernandes but also Sandro Tonali. On Tuesday, it was revealed that they had agreed an £85m fee with West Ham to lure him from east to north London.
However, Tonali is also on the list and looks to be on pace for £100m. It would mean that Spurs would have broken their record for two transfers in one summer. Not bad, eh?
That said, a third midfielder could also come.
The £30m star wants to rejoin Spurs
If you told fans they would end up spending the better part of £185m on two players at the end of last season, you would have been laughed out of town.
However, the winds of change are among us. Spurs are changing their strategy and have already realized that in order to compete with the top teams, they need to spend big and shell out big wages in the process.
It's something they were afraid to do in the past. Ange Postecoglou even pointed that out when he appeared on Gary Neville's The Overlap in February. “If you look at their costs and especially their wages, they're not a big club,” the Aussie said.
“I saw that because, when we tried to sign players, we were not in the market for those players.
Well, Ange, it seems they are listening. Spurs have reportedly offered Tonali a £200k-a-week contract to join the club. They could spend another £30m or more to re-sign Joao Palhinha.
Of course, he is not satisfied with just two midfielders, The Daily Mail reveals that despite the deadline to sign the Portuguese for £30m from Bayern Munich after his loan deal, De Zerbi wants to bring him back.
The player is said to be determined to return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.
Why Joao Palhinha fills Tonali and Fernandes
It's safe to say that it would be great if Tottenham could get both Tonali and Fernandes this summer.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes said last October that Tonali was “the best midfielder in the Premier League” and while that may be a stretch, the Italian is a top player.
Fernandes, on the other hand, is one of the best up-and-coming midfielders in English football right now. Last season, among under-21 midfielders in Europe's top leagues, he ranked first in defenses won, tackles and passes.
Although Tonali is yet to be confirmed, it would be very special to see him linked with the former West Ham man in midfield. It would also be a pleasure to see them all on the same side as Palhinha.
Depending on whether De Zerbi wants to be conservative or not, you can put Palhinha down, with Tonali and Fernandes in front of them. Fernandes can even play as a number 10 with the other two sitting next to each other in a double pivot.
No matter what the plan, no matter what the tactics, they would complement each other brilliantly. In Fernandes, they will have legs, an engine to improve the pitch. He was among the top ten midfielders in the Premier League last season for mileage.
|
Distance covered by midfielders – 25/26 PL |
|
|---|---|
|
The player |
The miles are running |
|
1. Elliot Anderson |
318.6 |
|
2. Bernardo Silva |
304.9 |
|
3. Ethan Ampadu |
302.2 |
|
4. Enzo Fernandez |
294.1 |
|
5. Sander Berge |
289.6 |
|
6. Martin Zubimendi |
282.4 |
|
7. Bruno Fernandes |
282.3 |
|
8. Declan Rice |
281.7 |
|
9. Mateus Fernandes |
279.3 |
|
10. Granit Xhaka |
277.1 |
As for Tonali, he will have class and composure, a player who collects the ball and is able to move it forward. In Palhinha, you will have muscle and brawn.
Described as a “defensive monster” by recruiting analyst Marcus Bring, no player had more shots per 90 (4.51) than Palhinha on the entire Spurs team last season. In fact, no player in the entire league completed more tackles. In addition, he won 6.43 ground duels per 90, again the most of any wing player.
|
Most wins in the Premier League – 2025/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
The player |
Fights made (in 90 minutes) |
|
1) Joao Palhinha |
4.51 |
|
2) Nicolas Dominguez |
4.29 |
|
3) Tim Iroegbunam |
4.12 |
|
4) Florentino |
3.84 |
|
5) Soungoutou Magassa |
3.68 |
|
6) John Arias |
3.45 |
With that kind of defensive presence, he will undoubtedly be a good fit for Tonali and Fernandes. The former is not a natural midfielder. He is something of a Martin Zubimendi, someone who will dictate the tempo of the game rather than disrupt the rhythm of the opposition.
The latter is something in between. He is able to win duels but he is also improving, he is able to carry the ball for long distances without being knocked down.
Because of this, bringing a defensive midfielder like Palhinha into the fray would be a huge boon for these elite midfielders. In no time, De Zerbi would have one of the best trios in the Premier League at his disposal.
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