TTLB Opinion: Right time for Daniel Levy to sell Rodrigo Bentancur?

The North Londoners midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been subject to links with a move away from Hotspur Way, with links from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid taking over the headlines of late. Given his contract situation with Tottenham Hotspur, John Wenham, the owner of the Spurs-reported Lilywhites Podcast, thinks that the Uruguayan would depart N17 when the offseason comes around. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, Wenham said:

“Atletico are interested in Romero and Bentancur. It would be a good move for both players. From Spurs’ point of view, they would obviously rather sell Bentancur than Romero, in terms of ability and contractual situation.

“Bentancur will only have a year left on his deal this summer, and he has had multiple issues this season, such as suspensions and injuries. Therefore, I feel this is the perfect time for a clean break.

“I think Bentancur is a good player, and significantly better than Yves Bissouma. However, this is the perfect time for the midfielder to move on from Tottenham, and I can see a deal being agreed.”

Now if you look at Bentancur, he is possibly the most technical midfielder currently related to Tottenham, and given his intelligent positioning complemented by how he moves easily through pressure, he is an absolute asset to have on the side. But while he has shown potential of quality, his age and injury history mean that he is regressing, and mainly so if you compare how Ange Postecoglou wants his side to have runners in the middle of the park; Bentancur’s stamina could no longer live up to it.

Let’s look at his injuries before we speak about the squad evolution at Tottenham

With Bentancur, he suffered a big ACL setback in 2023, and since then he has been in and out of the treatment room with multiple muscle problems since (which you’d think is very normal after that ACL layoff). And since then, he is a player that needs to be carefully managed – you cannot play him in a run of high-intensity games without risking an injury. Ideally he would be a sub-off in that 60-70 minute interval.

With the high-tempo system the Australian head coach has deployed, carrying a player who can’t reliably feature at his best is also a structural risk.

The evolving roster at Hotspur Way

Daniel Levy is looking to add young players into the current side and ensure that they develop into their potential in the years to come, and this ‘buy them young policy’ has seen the North Londoners invest mightily in the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

See, the thing with these young players is they are not only more tactically dynamic; these guys provide that endlessly running ability. Given their young age, you can also tactically mould them to your needs. And selling Bentancur creates that space in the squad and starts a process of building a new midfield core.

Bentancur has a declining value

When we talk about Bentancur, he is on the wrong side of age and injury history with a contract concluding in 2026, which means his value is already declining at a high rate. Right now, given his recent form, Levy can bank on it and sell him for a few decent quid. If Spurs wait another season, it would take away at least £10m-12m from his valuation.

Author Opinion

Given how Levy has been prioritising a long-term project at Spurs, it does make sense to move fully into that younger mould sooner. At the moment you can get many more seasons out of Bentancur at the highest level, which also does come with a sense of responsibility with his game time. You can instead sell him and make a new midfield core; possibly use that money to bring another high-ceiling young player into the middle of the park at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This way, the North Londoners don’t also risk a contract stagnation for an ageing player.

If Atleti comes in with a reputable bid, then Levy should sell Bentancur.

More Tottenham Hotspur News:

• TTLB Opinion: Is Postecoglou the reason behind Maddison’s underwhelming season at Tottenham?
• TTLB Opinion: Tottenham target Branthwaite and Guehi – but who makes more sense?
• TTLB Opinion: Should Tottenham be worried about Van de Ven to Real Madrid or is it all agent talks?

Do you think Tottenham should sell Bentancur? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.