Roberto De Zerbi wants to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent transfer this summer after his final-day heroics helped Tottenham to stay in the Premier League.
The Portuguese midfielder scored the only goal of the game as Spurs defeated Everton 1-0 at home on Sunday to avoid a disastrous first relegation from the top-flight since 1977.
Palhinha’s low follow-up effort clearly crossed the line before being hacked away after his initial header had struck the post and the rebound fell kindly back into his path.
That goal came just two minutes before half-time and served to eliminate much of the lingering tension around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was more than enough in the end for Tottenham to secure their Premier League survival, despite rivals West Ham winning 3-0 at home to Leeds.
Spurs’ vastly superior goal difference compared to that of the Hammers meant that a draw would have also seen them stay up, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needing Everton to claim victory in north London alongside their own to prevent a costly fall into the Championship.
It was another vital late-season contribution from Palhinha, who has been an important player for Tottenham during the run-in, sparking their revival under De Zerbi with the crucial winning goal away at relegated Wolves last month.
The former Fulham favourite’s future beyond the end of the campaign remains unclear, with Tottenham having signed him on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich last summer.
That included the option for a permanent deal believed to be worth around £22million, something that De Zerbi is evidently eager to quickly trigger as he namechecked Palhinha as one of the key players behind Spurs’ successful survival effort.
Asked after the win over Everton if he would like to keep the 30-year-old at Tottenham this summer, the head coach responded: “Yes I would like to keep him, 100 per cent.
“We have to start from these people. Before we speak about the players, we have to speak about the people.
“And we have to start. Then, I can't give the place for everyone in the first eleven. Because I want to build two players in each position.
“But for sure, I would like him to stay with me. Like Conor Gallagher and [Rodrigo] Bentancur, the same.”
