Manchester United targeted a move for Joao Palhinha last year and, now, one former player has called for the Red Devils to reignite their interest in the Tottenham loanee
Manchester United legend Nani has called on his former club to make a move for midfielder Joao Palhinha – who the Red Devils were desperate to land last year.
United attempted to secure the Portuguese star’s signature, but he eventually sealed a £47.4million switch from Fulham to Bayern Munich. Yet, he failed to nail down a regular spot under Vincent Kompany and was shipped out on loan to Tottenham this summer – with Spurs holding a £27million option to make the deal permanent.
The 30-year-old has been a mainstay in Thomas Frank’s starting XI, featuring in all eight Premier League fixtures so far. Nani, who shared the pitch with Palhinha during their time together at Sporting Clube de Portugal, reckons the midfielder would be perfect for United’s philosophy.
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“Joao Palhinha is a great player. I played with him at Sporting, where he was growing and learning a lot,” the former Red Devils’ winger revealed to Covers.com. “After a few years, he became one of the best players in his position.
“He’s very strong and talented at winning and recovering the ball, and also tackling. He’s also improved his forward play, scoring goals, connecting with the team, and moving forward with the ball. He’s become a complete player in his position.”
With doubts over whether Tottenham, or not, will trigger their buy-out clause to secure his services permanently next summer, Nani has urged United to try and scupper any possible agreement between the north London outfit and Bayern.
“I think he’s a great player and can do really well for Tottenham. He had an opportunity with Bayern and we’re not sure what will happen next season, but he’s a player who can play for any team in the world,” he added.
“He just needs to be consistent and fit, as injuries cause problems. I trust he will have a fantastic career. He’s a player with energy, with power to recover balls and to fight, and that is something that fits into Man Utd’s DNA.
“Having players who are able to fight on the field, like to recover the ball and challenge opponents to help the team win games. You can’t give your opponents any time in the Premier League, and he has all the energy and physical abilities to be such an asset for anyone.”
Following their failure to land Palhinha, United eventually brought in Manuel Ugarte from Sporting CP during the same window that saw Palhinha finally secure his desired switch to Munich.
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