Nani believes ‘complete’ Premier League star has ‘Man United DNA’, he previously turned down Old Trafford move

Former Manchester United star Luis Nani has poured praise on midfielder Joao Palhinha, who was a target for the Reds before his Fulham exit.Back in August 2024, the Portugal international finally completed his desired move to Bayern Munich in a £47.4 million deal, snubbing United in the process.It came almost a year on from Palhinha’s initial failed Bayern switch, which saw him travel to Germany to undergo his medical and even go as far as partaking in media duties for the club, before it collapsed due to Fulham not being able to sign a replacement in time.He subsequently flew back to West London to oversee the 2023/2024 campaign as a Cottager.Palhinha endured a quiet year at the Allianz Arena(Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Unfortunately for Palhinha, his Bayern tenure left much to be desired throughout his maiden season.A combination of unrelenting injury woes, combined with Vincent Kompany’s preference for other options in the middle of the park, resulted in the Sporting Lisbon graduate making only 25 appearances across the entirety of 2024/2025 in all competitions and totalling just 986 minutes on the pitch.Palhinha was granted a measly six Bundesliga starts, making 11 cameos off the bench and being an unused substitute for six fixtures.While he did end the term with a league winners’ medal to his name, he was keen to avoid a repeat of such a quiet nine months of action – and you couldn’t really blame him in the build-up to a World Cup year.Alas, in August, the 28-year-old agreed to spend the season on loan with Tottenham Hotspur. The club will have the option of signing him permanently upon the culmination of his temporary spell for around £27m.Already enjoying a more prominent role under Thomas Frank, Palhinha has started eight of Spurs’ nine league games thus far, as well as both Carabao Cup ties and one of their three Champions League outings.What Nani had to say about ‘complete’ Palhinha(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Nani, a four-time Premier League winner with United, singled out his compatriot for his stellar work ethic when speaking to Covers (as cited by UtdDistrict): “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.“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.”Further, the ex-winger claimed Palhinha would’ve been an ideal fit in the current Red Devils squad, saying: “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.”