Atletico Madrid are ready to battle Tottenham Hotspur for a talented young South American defender who is thriving for River Plate.
Even though Kevin Danso has performed admirably in the absence of Cristian Romero, and Radu Dragusin is edging close to a return to action, it has been widely reported that Tottenham want to add another centre-back to their squad in January.
One Argentine youngster’s impressive performances back in his home country have allegedly brought him to the Lilywhites’ attention.
It first emerged last month that Spurs have expressed an interest in River Plate starlet Lautaro Rivero, who is quickly building a reputation as the best young defender in Argentine football.
Atletico Madrid ready to challenge Tottenham for Lautaro Rivero
A new report in La Razon has revealed that Atletico Madrid are also keen on securing the 22-year-old.
Jose Maria Gimenez is struggling with injuries, while Clement Lenglet has not performed to the expected level, which is why the Spanish side are now keen on adding Rivero to their squad in January.
The outlet backs up what we have heard from other sources by revealing that the young centre-back has a release clause of €100m (£87.7m) in his contract.
Atletico fear competition from Spurs for Rivero
La Razon explain that Diego Simeone’s men are hoping to land the River Plate defender for around €50m (£43.8m).
However, they are worried about Tottenham Hotspur, and they fear that competition from the Premier League club will push Rivero’s price up.
Despite being protected by the defender’s big release clause, River Plate feel they may not be able to hold on to the centre-back if there is an approach from a big European club.