Photo by MIKE EGERTON / POOL /. via .
Ever since Harry Kane decided that a golf trip with Gary Neville was an appropriate time to break the hearts of Tottenham Hotspur fans around the world, many inches of spine have been spent asking a question without an obvious answer. How the hell do the Spurs replace the irreplaceable?
Yet this wouldn’t be the first time the London giants have faced the unenviable task of preparing for life without a player who has few equals in the Premier League and beyond.
The strangest player from every Euro 2020 team in 2021 according to Football Manager 2016
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The strangest player from every Euro 2020 team in 2021 according to Football Manager 2016
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It’s been over two years since Moussa Dembele traded North London for China, joining Beijing Guoan for a whopping £ 11 million (Guardian).
Since then, Spurs have gone from being challengers in the Premier League and Champions League to deep within the UEFA Conference League, crashing into the ground at breakneck speed after reaching heights they never thought they would reach.
Of course, Dembele’s departure is not the only factor behind Tottenham’s rapid decline.
The lack of effective signings, the slippage in the form of Dele Alli and Eric Dier, plus the unfortunate experiment of José Mourinho have contributed.
But in the 29 months since Dembélé left, Tottenham has come nowhere close to finding a midfielder capable of doing what only he could do.
Tony Marshall / .
Could Palhinha finally fill the void in the form of Dembele at Tottenham?
Jack of all trades, master of most. If you take the discipline of Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg, the energy of Moussa Sissoko and the technique of Tanguy Ndombele, only then would you come close to building a player as devastatingly efficient and beautifully elegant as Dembélé in his heyday.
“I always say ‘Moussa, in my book, you will be one of my genius players that I have been lucky enough to meet’, with (Diego) Maradona, Ronaldinho, (Jay Jay) Okocha and (Ivan) De La Pena”. Former manager Mauricio Pochettino told the Independent in 2017.
So while it may be unfair to compare Joao Palhinha to one of the best midfielders to wear that famous white jersey since the turn of the century, there are certainly similarities between the two men.
Palhinha may be famous in Portugal for his ball winning skills – he was the stone at the heart of a Sporting team that won the Primeira Liga for the first time in 20 years, averaging 3.3 tackles per game, but there is more to his I play what what.
Photo from DeFodi Images via.
Palhinha is both a dictator and a destroyer, like Dembele in his pristine pomp.
Just look at the way the 6ft 3in powerhouse dispossessed first Jules Kounde and then N’Golo Kante with perfectly timed sliding tackles before executing a beautiful one-two and crazy Paul Pogba just in case during tie 2. -2 of Euro 2020 in Portugal with France this week.
It was a move straight out of Dembele’s playbook.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Leicester City have all been linked with Palhinha in recent weeks, and Record now throws Tottenham’s name into the ring for the £ 30 million master.
So while Tottenham may be hiding in nowhere in their unsuccessful search for Harry Kane 2.0, a man capable of emulating Dembele’s influence in the center of the park may finally be within reach.
Photo by Nick England – UEFA / UEFA via.
In other news, Report: £ 34m player wants Liverpool to move, club looks to Newcastle striker as replacement
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