A Portugal teammate of Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot could have been the answer that Ruben Amorim was looking for from a midfield option this summer.
Manchester United have been reinforcing Ruben Amorim’s squad options this summer ahead of the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have not brought a new midfielder through the doors at Old Trafford, despite United being heavily linked with signing one for Amorim this summer.
United have had their name attached to several different midfield options, including Atalanta’s Ederson, Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand and Juventus’ Douglas Luiz.
It is believed that Bruno Fernandes could be dropped back into midfield in Amorim’s tactical system for United after the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Fernandes will likely start in the two-man midfield pivot and Amorim needs an alternative defensive midfield option to the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty ImagesMan Utd were linked with Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot’s Portugal teammate Joao Palhinha ahead of his Tottenham transfer
Joao Palhinha had attracted interest from Manchester United in recent weeks, but the Red Devils never made a move for the Bayern Munich and Portugal midfielder.
The 30-year-old Bayern Munich star, who plays alongside Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot for Portugal, completed a season-long loan move to Tottenham.
Tottenham secured their acquisition of Joao Palhinha on the weekend and Spurs have the option to make the Portugal international’s move permanent in the future.
Speaking on ESPN, pundit Stephen Nicol was baffled that United did not try to sign Palhinha as a defensive midfield option ahead of Premier League side Tottenham.
When discussing Tottenham’s new signing, he asked: “Why wouldn’t they [United] have gone for somebody like Palhinha?
“[He is someone] who they probably would have got, who was great at Fulham, who you know what you are going to get and who would not have broken the bank.
“Why wouldn’t they have gone for somebody like that?”
What Tottenham signing Joao Palhinha could have offered Ruben Amorim at Man Utd had the Red Devils moved for him
Stephen Nicol said that a key “problem” for United is getting control of the ball and the ESPN pundit felt that Joao Palhinha could have been a solution for that issue.
“The problem Man United have is they can’t get the ball, so you have to take one step at a time,” he added.
Nicol continued: “You need a guy who is going to win it and then give it and do it consistently, and particularly, he’s got to stop the opposition getting at you.
“Those are the biggest problems. I agree, he’s not exactly ‘fancy Dan’ on the ball, but they need to just try and win some games by hook or by crook and just get somebody in the middle of the park who can actually stop the opposition getting at the back four.”
Tottenham’s deal for Palhinha includes the option to make the Bayern Munich midfielder’s move permanent to north London for a £25.9m transfer fee.