Rodrigo Bentancur has admitted that his international teammates Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani encouraged him to complete a move to Tottenham last month.
Bentancur was one of two players that Tottenham snapped up from Juventus on transfer deadline day, along with Dejan Kulusevski.
The Uruguayan has enjoyed a promising start to his Spurs career, producing tidy cameos off the bench against Brighton and Southampton before impressing in his first two starts against Wolves and Man City.
The midfielder tasted victory for the first time in the Premier League yesterday, with the North Londoners defeating Pep Guardiola’s side 3-2. Speaking before the game, Bentancur admitted he is excited to start a new journey at the club.
Bentancur told Sky Sports: “Playing in the Premier League is something I’ve always wanted to do. I consider the Premier League to be the best league in the world.
“It certainly has been a real dream of mine to play in this league. I used to watch English football and the Premier League as a kid growing up.
“I’m very happy to be here and to arrive at Tottenham, it’s a massive club. Things have been going really well. I’ve had the help of all of my teammates and all the backroom staff, so I’m excited to get going.”
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Bentancur also shed light on his conversations with Suarez and Cavani while on international duty last month, admitting that the Man Utd striker and the former Liverpool star both encouraged him to make the move to the Lilywhites.
He added: “I was following my situation [transfer to Tottenham] while on international duty, and as soon as Luis Suarez found out that there was a possibility of me coming to play in the Premier League, and for Tottenham, he made himself available to give me as much information as I required.
“Suarez said it would be a great move for me and it would help me both professionally and personally. If I needed anything, he was willing to help me out. Edinson Cavani got involved too.
“I asked him [about the move], even though he will be an opponent, and he said it was a spectacular league to play in and it would benefit me greatly.
“They both said what a fantastic league it was. I knew it was a big step in my career, so to get information and background on the league was very important. It was a decision that I didn’t hesitate in taking.”
Bentancur also admitted that his desire to work with Antonio Conte was part of what convinced him that a move to Tottenham would be the right step for his career.
The former Juventus man said: “The fact that [head coach] Antonio Conte was here was a massive factor in helping me make up my decision to join Tottenham, and a big motivation,” says Bentancur, who knows all about the Italian from his time in charge at Inter Milan.
“I feel that he can dramatically improve me as a player and I’m looking forward to learning from him big time. His track record is amazing. He’s won lots of titles and has been successful wherever he’s gone.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I have been extremely impressed with Bentancur’s displays so far, even though results have not always gone our way.
It is apparent that the Uruguayan is an all-around midfielder, who is good at reading situations and winning the ball back while also making smart decisions in possession of the ball to help start/sustain attacks.
The other three midfielders we have in Skipp, Hojbjerg and Winks, seem to possess just one of the two aforementioned attributes. So, I expect the 24-year-old to establish himself as a regular in the starting eleven.
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