According to a report, Tottenham Hotspur officials have decided that if Rodrigo Bentancur is of interest to another club, he will cost more than double what they paid for him.
Bentancur was one of Antonio Conte’s first signings as Tottenham’s manager. He joined the club in a double deal with Juventus teammate Dejan Kulusevski last January. Both players have improved their form and consistency in the Premier League compared to Serie A.
Tottenham will have to decide whether to make Kulusevski’s loan deal a permanent arrangement. In Bentancur’s case, though, he is already theirs for good.
The Uruguay international signed a contract until 2026 upon his arrival in north London 11 months ago. Since then, he has become one of Conte’s most trusted players.
This season alone, he has scored more goals than in all of the previous campaigns of his career put together. His tally of five has come from 21 appearances in all competitions.
Overall for Tottenham, Bentancur has amassed 39 appearances since his transfer from Juventus, where he never really fit in.
Indeed, Juventus will probably have been glad to have seen the back of Bentancur when they cashed in for a fee believed to be worth £16million plus £ 5 million in add-ons. Things can change quickly in football, though.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham believes Bentancur’s value has increased significantly in the year since they bought him.
Per the online outlet, Tottenham would now be looking for a fee in excess of £ 50 million if anyone was to enquire about the 25-year-old.
The report does not mention any existing suitors for Bentancur, which will come as a relief to Tottenham for the time being. But every player has a price and they have to be aware of that.
Tottenham putting off potential Bentancur suitors
It seems the Spurs will be ready to stand firm if anyone does come calling for the former Boca Juniors product.
Indeed, a sale above £ 50 million would make Bentancur one of their most expensive exports of all time. Only Gareth Bale has gone for comfortably more than that amount in their history.
Tottenham does not want to think about letting Bentancur go just yet, though. Their valuation of him has presumably been designed as a deterrent, rather than an invitation, to anyone wanting to lure him away.
It should be in the best interests of all concerned for him to continue with the Spurs after how he has resurrected his career. Therefore, he should be happy with the show of faith Tottenham’s decision-makers could be putting in him.
Bentancur has started 13 out of 15 Premier League matches this season, coming on as a substitute in one more and missing the other due to a head injury back in August.
Conte is clearly relying on him, along with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and, gradually, Yves Bissouma in his midfield.
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