Nani urges Manchester United to sign ‘complete’ Tottenham star

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Joao Palhinha of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after he scored for 1-0 during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Doncaster Rovers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Joao Palhinha joined Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window (Getty)

Nani believes Tottenham’s Joao Palhinha would be an ideal fit for Manchester United’s midfield.

United targeted a move for Palhinha last year but the 30-year-old ended up joining Bayern Munich in a £47.4 million deal from Fulham.

But after struggling to secure a regular role under Vincent Kompany, Bayern allowed Palhinha to return to the Premier League as Spurs signed him on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for £27m.

Palhinha has made an immediate impact with Thomas Frank’s side and Nani, who played alongside the Portugal international at Sporting CP, believes the midfielder ‘has ‘fits into Man United’s DNA’.

‘Joao Palhinha is a great player. I played with him at Sporting, where he was growing and learning a lot. After a few years, he became one of the best players in his position,’ Nani told Covers.com.

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Newcastle United's English midfielder #41 Jacob Ramsey (R) vies with Tottenham Hotspur's Portugese midfielder #06 Joao Palhinha during the English League Cup fourth round football match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on October 29, 2025. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Spurs have the option to sign Joao Palhinha for £27m next summer (AFP via Getty)

‘He’s very strong and talented at winning and recovering the ball, and tackling. He’s also improved his forward play, scoring goals, connecting with the team, and moving forward with the ball. He’s become a complete player in his position.

‘I think he’s a great player and can do really well for Tottenham. He had an opportunity with Bayern and we’re not sure what will happen next season, but he’s a player who can play for any team in the world. He just needs to be consistent and fit, as injuries sometimes cause problems. I trust he will have a fantastic career.

‘He is a player with energy, with power to recover balls and to fight, that is something that fits into Man United’s DNA.

‘Having players who are able first to fight on the field, like to recover the ball and challenge opponents to help the team win games.

‘You can’t give your opponents any time in the Premier League and he has the energy and physical abilities to be such an asset for anyone.’

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