Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur
As per Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur are looking to rival Aston Villa for Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, after the Villans had a £20.5m bid rejected for the Uruguayan star.
Bentancur is a familiar face around Turin, having been with the club for over four years since signing for Juventus in 2017. The former Boca Juniors man is a regular for the Italian side, shielding the Juve backline from waves of opposition attackers.
Spurs are looking to jump onto the bandwagon behind Villa, who saw a bid for the player turned down as Juventus expect more money to agree to a deal. It is reported that this is partly because 30% of any transfer fee for Bentancur would go to his former club Boca Juniors, as part of a sell-on clause in the Uruguayan’s contract.
With Villa looking to complete the deal before Monday’s transfer deadline, Spurs are said to be interested in securing the Uruguayan midfielder for themselves, with manager Antonio Conte looking for fresh faces this month as he seeks to beef up his squad in an effort to push up the Premier League table.
No loan deals
Tottenham have not made any signing so far in January, which will worry their manager as he looks for reinforcements that he can work with to turn Spurs into world-beaters. In the 24-year-old, the north London side would be gaining a quality defensive midfielder who can thwart attacks and keep the rearguard safe.
However, the issue with Spurs’ interest in the Uruguayan is that the Premier League side is looking at a loan deal, which Juventus are not keen on. The Italian club wants a permanent transfer for the 24-year-old so they can make a profit on the £8m they paid for him in 2017.
Spurs’ preference for a short-term loan deal for the three-time Serie A winner could scupper their hopes to sign the midfielder unless they come back with an offer that Juventus cannot refuse. Time is running out for Conte’s side to bring in players before the end of the January transfer window shuts on Monday. We can only hope that the club has a backup plan given the situation.
Bentancur is exactly the kind of player we require in midfield, with his tall and physical presence making him a perfect fit for the Premier League. Our defence has often looked shaky this season, and an experienced head in front to shield the backline from opposition attackers could help ease their lives.
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With Villa said to be not far from meeting Juventus’ valuation of their midfield star, we could lose yet another transfer target this month if we do not act quickly. It remains to be seen whether Spurs are willing to splash the cash on the 24-year-old and not leave the transfer to chance.
Seeing a transfer target move to a Premier League rival is not an ideal situation for us, considering our aim to push higher up in the league table and end the campaign strongly. The race to finish in the Champions League qualification spots is heating up in the second half of the season, and we need all the help we can get from potential incomings.
