Overall, defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha has been a positive loan signing for Tottenham Hotspur, but spending 30 million euros to sign the 30-year-old permanently from Bayern Munich is a more difficult decision when there are players like Joao Gomes available.
Gomes is not a new name when it comes to links to the Premier League Big Six, but those links should only increase in the summer transfer window as he has been excellent on a Wolves team that has been the worst in the Premier League - though they are showing signs of life with great results against Arsenal and Aston Villa lately.
And the 25-year-old Brazilian No. 6 has been a key part of that effort. He is a classic 6 in the sense that he bases his game off bruising ball-winning and athleticism, much like Palhinha, but he is also a much better passer and progressive dribbler than the Portuguese international at Tottenham.
Joao Gomes is having a great season for Wolves
This season, Gomes is averaging a robust four combined tackles and interceptions per game with 2.3 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match while completing a robust 86+ percent of his passes for Wolves. Meanwhile, Palhinha is averaging 4.5 combined tackles and interceptions per game but only 1.4 combined fouls drawn and dribbles completed per match with a pass completion percentage in the low 80s. Palhinha does have five goal contributions, but they shroud his overall poor play with the ball in possession.
Tottenham would not be opposed to having Palhinha as veteran depth in the 2026/27 season, but it is fair to wonder if a mediocre Premier League defensive midfielder is worth 30 million euros when he has no future resale value and isn't exactly showing the quality of someone who can help get Spurs out of the bottom half of the table.
Between the two No. 6's, Gomes is more enticing. He is entering his prime, bound to improve his offensive performances on a better team with better players like Tottenham, and he offers so much more on the ball. Palhinha's goal contributions, if anything, are a credit to his athleticism to belie the fact that he is quite useless to a team's build-up phase due to his lack of accuracy of passing, creativity, and poor dribbling skills.
Tottenham have to make tough decisions this summer transfer window. There are going to be some good footballers that the team needs to let go, and Palhinha is on the lower end of those good footballers who will be casualties to bring in better, younger players.