Roberto De Zerbi wants Tottenham to trigger the loan option and make Joao Palhinha’s move from Bayern Munich permanent.
Spurs have an option to sign the 30-year-old Portugal international midfielder in the summer for £27million.
Palhinha started for the first time in four games under De Zerbi at Aston Villa on Sunday.
He excelled in a 2-1 win as Spurs made it seven points from three games and eased out of the relegation zone.
‘One hundred per cent,’ said De Zerbi when asked if he would like to keep Palhinha at the club next season.
‘We have to start from this type of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players.
Roberto De Zerbi is looking to make the loan move of Palhinha (right) permanent this summer
‘Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy. I want to see players with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit and the same personality.
‘We are lucky to have him with us.’
Palhinha has been in and out of the Spurs team under three different managers since he was signed last summer by Thomas Frank.
He has started only 20 of 35 Premier League games as Frank, then interim Igor Tudor and now De Zerbi searched for an effective midfield formula in a misfiring team.
Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma and, since January, Conor Gallagher have all been used in the central midfield roles.
It has seemed at times as if the option would be waived but De Zerbi was in no doubt.
Palhinha made a vital contribution at Wolverhampton Wanderers, last month, coming from the bench to score the only goal of the game to end Spurs’ run of 15 games without a Premier League win.
He was outstanding at Villa in partnership with Bentancur.
‘Palhinha did not play the first three games and the fourth he was one of the best players on the pitch,’ said De Zerbi.
The Spurs boss has ruled Dominic Solanke out of Monday’s game against Leeds. Solanke remains out with a hamstring injury. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is also still out after hernia surgery.
