Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for a new centre-back, and one on the radar could fit in brilliantly
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to make a January move for a versatile defender, with Ange Postecoglou looking to add more depth to his squad.
The Australian manager has already stated that the club are in the market for a defender in the upcoming transfer window, due to the long-term injury suffered by Micky van de Ven leaving the club depleted in defence.
And it seems Tottenham have identified the ideal player to arrive in North London, having sent scouts to watch him on multiple occasions over the course of the season.
Van de Ven's injury has left Spurs depleted in defence (Image credit: Getty Images)
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Tottenham Hotspur will make a bid in the upcoming transfer window for Benfica defender Morato.
The 22-year-old joined Benfica as a youngster in 2019 from Sau Paolo, costing the Portuguese giants just €6m. Morato has only just properly broken into the first team this season, though, starting games at both left-back and centre-back to prove his versatility.
Comfortable on the ball, Morato is an aggressive defender who loves to press the ball. He's also aggressive in an attacking sense, breaking lines with progressive passes that will perfectly fit into Ange Postecoglou's tactical vision.
Morato is on the Tottenham Hotspur radar (Image credit: Getty Images)
Morato would provide cover for both Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie when either is unavailable, improving the squad depth. While Ben Davies has filled in adequately over the last few weeks, Postecoglou did admit that "ultimately we need to sign another centre-back".
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Fulham had an £18m bid rejected in July for Morato, with Benfica recognising his future value to the team due to his ability. Indeed, with his contract running until June 2027, Morato has a reported release clause of £68m - which Tottenham Hotspur might have to match in order to secure his services.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
