Dream Palhinha replacement: Spurs set to launch formal bid to sign £25m star

Tottenham Hotspur have flirted with danger for a few seasons now, and last year’s stunning Europa League victory has been lost in the agony of a Premier League relegation battle.

A 17th-place finish. Two years in a row. Hardly stuff to write home about, right? But this is Spurs’ reality, and one which they must now deal with.

For most living Spurs supporters, that was the worst season of their lives. Certainly, the most draining, with the Londoners’ 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the term preventing West Ham United from leapfrogging them at the eleventh hour.

It’s hard to say that the desperate lunge for Roberto De Zerbi during the March international break was an inspired appointment; backed into a corner, ENIC gambled with their third managerial appointment since Ange Postecoglou lifted the Europa League.

But he does have a vision, and he has saved the day. Now, Tottenham must repay the Italian by signing players fit for the job.

Spurs set to bid for EFL superstar

Tottenham have acted speedily to seal deals for defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. Neither has been finalised, but both players are expected to wear a Spurs shirt next term.

However, there’s still a lot more to be done, with Joao Palhinha‘s future uncertain after emerging from this fraught campaign with many viewing him as Tottenham’s star player.

Palhinha, 30, is at the end of his loan spell down N17, and while efforts are being made to sign the combative Bayern Munich midfielder for good, intense interest from his Portuguese homeland threatens to throw a spanner in the works.

As per The Northern Echo, ENIC may have already sounded out the perfect replacement in Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, who is expected to leave Riverside this summer after his team lost the Championship play-off final to Hull City.

Valued at £25m, the 23-year-old is one of the most underrated English prospects out there, and while Spurs are expected to make a ‘formal approach’ in the coming weeks, Crystal Palace and Manchester United are also in the race, and the latter are confident they will prevail.

Why Hackney can replace Palhinha at Spurs

Hackney is only 23 years old, but he’s captained his boyhood club and established himself as “the best player in the Championship“, according to journalist Eric Paylor.

An elegant and “pure passer” in the words of analyst Raj Chohan, Hackney is also a leader at the beating heart of his team, and he would tick many boxes in entering the scene in Tottenham and giving rise to a new kind of on-the-ball performance, more fluent and dynamic.

The future England international is hardly as menacing a midfielder as Palhinha, but there is more variation to his game. Certainly, he is better on the ball, and will work wonders to Spurs’ build-up structure while still protecting the backline and marshalling his teammates.

If Tottenham do lose Palhinha this summer, he will need replacing with a proper number six, sure, but Hackney has all the skills to establish himself as the new main man in the middle, someone who could prove instrumental in sparking De Zerbi’s set-up.

Palhinha is among the most monstrous ball-winning midfielders that the Premier League has ever seen. He packs quite the punch, and finds joy in dispossessing eager opponents.

But he’s hit his third decade and definitely lacks something in possession. Of course, keeping him would be the best bet for the Lilywhites; perhaps he could form a tidy partnership with Hackney in the middle.

But if he does leave for a Liga Portugal giant, Hackney may well step in and establish himself as the missing piece.

Curiously, Palhinha proved perfect because his skillset lends itself to combating the grittiness of a relegation dogfight. Tottenham don’t want to be in this position again, and Hackney would help steer them up and away.