Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho keen on Benfica defender Ruben Dias
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho is planning a raid on former club Benfica for defender Ruben Dias, who has an £80m release clause. This is according to Football.London’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold.
It is no secret that Tottenham have struggled defensively for the entirety of the 2019/20 season. Things haven’t improved under Mourinho, who prides himself on building solid teams that are hard to break down.
That has hardly been the case at Tottenham though, with our club leaking way too many goals. In fact, since Mourinho took over, only Aston Villa have conceded more in the Premier League than Spurs.
So, naturally, Mourinho is looking for defensive reinforcements ahead of next season. The fact that Jan Vertonghen could be on his way out once his contract expires, increases the need for a new centre-back (h/t Football.London).
To that end, Benfica’s Ruben Dias has emerged as a viable target for Mourinho and Tottenham. The 22-year-old has grown into one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe in the past couple of years.
A product of the Benfica youth academy, Dias has already racked up 124 appearances for the senior team, 39 of which have come in the 2019/20 season.
Given his rise in stature, Benfica tied Dias down with a new long-term contract till 2024 in November last year. The 22-year-old’s latest deal consists an £80m release clause, which clubs will have to trigger to be able to sign him (h/t Football.London).
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However, Tottenham are hoping that Jorge Mendes, who is the agent of Mourinho as well as Dias, will help broker a deal and bring down the asking price closer to £40m.
The 22-year-old would no doubt be an excellent addition to our defence. However, it remains to be seen if the club will splash large amounts of money in the transfer market, with finances likely to take a hit due to coronavirus.
