Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha scored his third goal for the club in their 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on Saturday night.
The Portugal international rescued a point for his team with a cultured finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after a lay-off from Pape Matar Sarr, and it is safe to say that he enjoyed it.
Palhinha raced away to the corner, shirt ripped off, to celebrate with the Spurs fans, although some may argue that he should have taken the ball back to the halfway line to push for a winner in the final seconds.
The Portuguese ace has been a strong addition to the squad since his loan move from Bayern Munich in the summer, averaging 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League, per Sofascore.
Palhinha, who has won 65% of his duels in the top-flight this season, is a defensive enforcer at the base of the midfield, but he has added goals to his game in recent weeks.
Whilst he will hope to continue his fine form and go on to be remembered as a great midfielder for the club, he will never be the silky and elegant operator that Luka Modric was in the middle of the park.
Where Luka Modric ranks among Tottenham's all-time midfielders
Tottenham have had some terrific talents in midfield throughout their history. From the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Glen Hoddle to Christian Eriksen and Moussa Dembele.
In terms of what they achieved in their careers as a whole, Modric may well have the right to be called the best central midfielder to ever play for the club, even if his best performances came after he left North London.
The main reason for that is that he is the only central midfielder in the club’s history, whilst at Spurs or not, to have won the Ballon d’Or. In 2018, the Croatia international was crowned the best player in the world, six years after switching London for Madrid.
As you can see in the post above, the midfield maestro saw off competition from Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award that year.
Modric is also the most decorated player in the history of Real Madrid, having won 28 trophies in 13 seasons before his move to AC Milan this summer.
It is not just his accomplishments for Real Madrid and Croatia that make him arguably the best midfielder in Tottenham history, though, as he also delivered 17 goals and 24 assists in 160 matches during his time in England, per Transfermarkt.
Modric was a wizard in the middle of the park for Spurs. He glided across the pitch and used his energy and quality to unpick defences and provide moments of magic for fans to enjoy.
Palhinha is not that kind of midfielder. He is more of a destroyer at the base of the midfield. However, Thomas Frank does have another star who could be the club’s next Modric in the making.
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Before his exit from North London, former chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned the signing of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for a fee of £51m. The early signs are that they may have found their next Modric.
Why Xavi Simons could be the next Luka Modric for Spurs
Unlike Palhinha, the Netherlands international is a silky and technical midfielder who is a joy to watch when he is at his best. Supporters have already had plenty of glimpses of that early on in his Spurs career, even if he has yet to score a goal.
When an attacking midfielder arrives for £51m with the reputation that Simons had, it is understandable for fans to expect goals and assists instantly. Particularly given that he produced 21 goals and 21 assists in two seasons with RB Leipzig, per Sofascore.
However, the 22-year-old star is finding his way into English football and within Thomas Frank’s system, which means that it is going to take time for him to show the very best of his ability.
Most of Simons’ outings in a Spurs shirt to date have come on the left flank, but it could be in a central midfield role where Frank is able to get the best out of him.
The Dutchman keeps wanting to drift inside to take the ball in central positions so that he can drive at the defence and make things tick in midfield, but then Destiny Udogie is left as the only player holding the width on the left.
His statistics in a left wing position also suggest that he would far better in the middle of the park, as he ranks highly among his positional peers in a host of statistics that you would expect a central-based player to excel in.
xG
0.14
Top 48%
xA
0.19
Top 25%
Assists
0.51
Top 11%
Chances created
2.02
Top 7%
Accurate long passes
3.54
Top 3%
Long pass accuracy
77.8%
Top 13%
Successful dribbles
1.52
Top 30%
Successful passes
33.37
Top 20%
As you can see in the table above, Simons has impressive output as a creative player and as a passer, whilst getting into goalscoring positions and dribbling past players are not two of his standout attributes.
This suggests that playing the Dutchman in the midfield three, possibly on the left, with a natural winger on the left for him to link up with could get the best out of the summer signing.
Simons was described as “tactically flexible” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, and Frank should make use of that flexibility by attempting to mould him into his own version of Modric.
The former Paris Saint-Germain starlet has the technical quality, elegance, creativity, and passing qualities to emulate the Croatian in North London, as another central midfielder who could be a joy to watch for supporters.
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He may not go on to win the Ballon d’Or, although you never know, but Simons has the potential to be a truly exciting player for Tottenham in the middle of the park, rather than out on the wing.