Tottenham is strongly determined to re-sign defensive midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur (27).
The British media outlet Daily Mail reported on the 25th (Korea time) that "Bentancur, who received an eight-game suspension for racist remarks about Son Heung-min in a domestic interview last year, is pursuing a contract renewal with Tottenham." The negotiations are in the early stages and have not yet reached an agreement. The club is planning additional meetings in the coming weeks.
The media noted that "since Bentancur plays a significant role in the first team, Tottenham has a strong willingness to extend his contract. Manager Postecoglou regards him as an important player for the team."
Earlier, in October last year, Italian football journalist Nicolo Schira first reported through his social media account that "Tottenham is planning to extend Bentancur's contract."
Schira gained high credibility after exclusively reporting Kim Min-jae's move to Serie A's Napoli in 2022 and revealing Hwang Hee-chan's five-year contract renewal with Wolverhampton in December 2023.
Born in 1997, Bentancur spent his youth career at Argentina's Boca Juniors. He started his professional career by debuting with Boca Juniors' first team in 2015. He gained attention for his stable game management in midfield and wide activity range, which attracted interest from several European clubs.
In 2017, Bentancur transferred to the prestigious Italian Serie A club Juventus. During his five seasons at Juventus, he played a total of 133 matches. Notably, he took charge of the midfield by playing in 33 league matches during the 2020-2021 season. He experienced several victories, including three league titles and two Coppa Italia titles.
In January 2022, Bentancur transferred to the English Premier League club Tottenham. During the 2022-2023 season, he played in 26 league matches, scoring four goals and providing two assists. He demonstrated stable midfield play while teaming up with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and served as an important consolidation link in both defense and attack for the team.
However, during the 2022-2023 season, Bentancur suffered a major injury from a torn ligament, forcing him to end the season early. He did not participate in matches in the second half of the league. Nevertheless, Bentancur showed a rapid recovery and returned in the early part of the 2023-2024 season.
He has played a total of 28 matches this season, recording two goals and one assist.
He also attracted controversy. Before the start of this season, he remarked to Son Heung-min that "all Asians look the same," igniting a racism controversy.
Bentancur is contracted with Tottenham until 2026. If he accepts Tottenham's offer, reaching a contract renewal agreement seems to be only a matter of time.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (not for redistribution)