£26m ‘monster’ wants permanent deal with Spurs

The summer break will give Tottenham Hotspur a much-needed break after a tough year in the Premier League.

Spurs avoided relegation by beating Everton on the final day of the season, but Roberto de Zerbi’s influence since replacing Igor Tudor during the March international break has given confidence to fans who feared further struggles next year.

Tottenham made a good impression towards the end of the season, particularly with a string of away wins in the Midlands. Additionally, ENIC Group has shown improvement regarding its relocation strategy.

The opportunity hasn’t opened up yet, but Spurs are already expecting the arrival of two new defenders to shore up a porous defense before looking elsewhere.

Premier League star says yes to Spurs

Cristian Romero is expected to leave Tottenham this summer, with Atletico Madrid thought to be one of the frontrunners for the captaincy.

Argentinian compatriot Marcos Senesi is set to arrive in north London following the expiry of his contract with Bournemouth, while Andy Robertson is also set to head to the capital at the end of his Liverpool journey.

These are shrewd signings, but De Zerbi could oversee the arrival of an even more shrewd, proven Premier League star.

Joao Parinha is set to sign a permanent contract with Tottenham this summer, despite overtures from Portugal’s first team, according to TEAMtalk.

Indeed, reports suggest the experienced star would ‘say yes’ to the move, with rivals Porto, Benfica and former club Sporting CP all interested.

Parinha, 30, has been one of the Lilywhites’ brightest sparks this season and given they have a £26m option to buy, he will surely be the player to cross the finish line in the coming weeks.

He is unique, influential and perfect within De Zerbi’s system. Considering he has already played one season in the N17 league as a loan player, Palinha could even emulate Dejan Kulusevski and settle at the club permanently.

Why Parinha could be the Spurs’ new Kulusevski

It was Parinha’s stepping up and scoring that cemented Tottenham’s Premier League status, a fitting end to a loan spell that arguably made the difference in Spurs’ fight for survival.

The tough-tackling midfielder was extremely capable throughout the season, and while he lacked the fluid passing that the club lacked this year, he still brought something important to the system, winning an average of 5.8 duels each game and posting a 62% success rate.

Unlike his previous two seasons in the Premier League with Fulham, Parinha failed to finish the season with more tackles than anyone in his division. That said, he played five fewer games than leader James Garner of Everton.

Parinha may not share many technical traits with Kulusevski, who has not played competitive football since April 2025, but he made an impact during his short stay in London and now looks ready to reinforce Spurs’ midfield on a permanent basis, having been labeled a “defensive monster” by recruitment analyst Marcus Bulling.

Of course, the Portuguese international’s ability to make attacking contributions is an underrated feature of his game. He scored five goals and provided two assists for Spurs in the Premier League, displaying acrobatics and tenacity that made up for where his more so-called attacking team-mates failed.

This was a surprising and welcome bonus considering the Spurs missed Kulusevski’s energy and dynamism during his tenure. It is vital that Parinha remains at the club and can continue to strengthen Spurs’ midfield, and hopefully have new creative qualities around him next year.

Kulusevski could be the perfect counterpoint in Tottenham’s engine room. This duo could work well together. Importantly, Parinha proved during his loan spell that he has a lot to offer De Zerbi’s team, and ENIC needs to deliver.