Tottenham Hotspur have long been linked with Benfica centre-half Morato, and the latest report suggests the North London club are ready to splash the cash to land the ‘priority’ signing.
Based on last season’s displays, Tottenham desperately needed to fix their defence this year, and the signing of Micky van de Ven went a long way to finding that solution.
The Dutchman’s impressive partnership with Cristian Romero at the heart of the Spurs defence was cut short, however, when he picked up a hamstring injury in the defeat to Chelsea at the start of last month.
Since then, it has been heavily suggested that Ange Postecoglou will look to sign another new centre-back in the January transfer window to bolster his backline for the second half of the campaign.
Tottenham need to spend big to land Morato
According to the Daily Mail, one option the Lilywhites are considering is Benfica defender, Morato. However, the signing will not be an easy one to make, with his current club keen to keep hold of the Brazilian (Record as relayed by Sport Witness).
Now, the latest update comes from Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness), who claim Tottenham have “intensified their observations” of Morato and, in light of van de Ven’s injury, have made the Benfica man a “priority” in the transfer market.
The problem is, Benfica do not want to give up their player and will not make it “simple” for Spurs to take him away. It is thought the Portuguese outfit could lean on Morato’s €100m release clause (£86m) and push the North London side to “open their purse strings.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I like the look of Morato, and I think he would be a really good fit for our side under Postecoglou. However, we should not spend silly money on the player and have to be wary of a club like Benfica not wanting to sell up.