'One secret' – Fabrizio Romano reveals Manchester United considered signing Tottenham-bound star

Another deal that the club has pretty much completed is Joao Palhinha on a loan transfer from Bayern Munich. The Portuguese midfielder would be an excellent addition to the squad and add some much needed defensive steel to Thomas Frank’s midfield.

Now, as per Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who claimed he was revealing a secret, before Tottenham swooped in to sign Palhinha, Manchester United had actively considered signing him. As quoted by Team Talk, here is what he said:

“I can give you one secret from Man United at the beginning of the window, end of May or the start of June. They considered the opportunity to go for Joao Palhinha, who is Portuguese like Ruben Amorim, who knows the player so well.”

“Now Palhinha is going to Tottenham on a loan deal with a €30m (£26m) buy option. Manchester United decided eventually to go for a different player.”

Palhinha is no stranger to the Premier League, having played so well for Fulham during his time in England. For some reason however, his time at Germany has been a polar opposite, and he has struggled to showcase the same kind of quality.

A chance at a career-revival

A return to familiar surroundings, especially London, should do the world of good for the experienced midfielder. He has the intensity to play in the Premier League and shouldn’t need a period of adaptation due to his past.

Spurs would be glad that Man Utd decided against moving for Palhinha, but even if they had, North London might have been the more exciting project for the 30-year-old, considering they have Champions League football to offer.

Maddison’s injury and Dejan Kulusevski’s unavailability in the early parts of the season could see Thomas Frank use Pape Matar Sarr in an advanced role. This should help Palhinha settle in with a regular role. Let’s wait and see how he performs at the N17 in the upcoming season.