Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi expresses strong commitment to retaining midfielder João Palhinha beyond his loan spell, praising the Portuguese player’s spirit and reliability.

Palhinha’s Impact and De Zerbi’s Vision

Palhinha faces occasional criticism this season but delivers crucial goals, including the match-winner against Wolves that ended Spurs’ 118-day league win drought. His passionate roar during the second half of the recent 2-1 victory over Aston Villa highlights his combative style and the team’s gritty performance.

De Zerbi values Palhinha’s attitude highly. “100 per cent [I want to keep him next season],” De Zerbi stated. “We have to start with [those] types of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy. I want to see the player with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, the same personality, and we are lucky to have with us Palhinha.”

Strong Midfield Performance

Tottenham’s midfield dominates at Villa Park, with Conor Gallagher bringing energy and goals, while Rodrigo Bentancur and Palhinha provide balance. Gallagher records the highest combined blocks, tackles, interceptions, and recoveries in the match.

De Zerbi hails Gallagher as a game-changer. The team performs as if it has a 12th player when the Englishman excels.

Gallagher’s Adaptation Success

Gallagher joins from Atlético Madrid in January and endures a tough start, waiting three months for his first league victory. De Zerbi maintains faith in the former Chelsea midfielder’s growth.

“I’m happy because I think from the perspective of Conor, he came in January in a difficult situation. He had some problems at the beginning – his physical condition, his environment,” De Zerbi explained. “To understand the different club, different style of play, different dressing room. But he’s an important player, the first level of the players. So I’m happy to watch him in this condition, in this confidence, with these performances. I think, and I said after the game, when Gallagher plays well, his team plays with one player more than the opponent.”