Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing the Benfica defender Morato during the January transfer window.
A report from the Portuguese publication Record via SportWitness claims that Tottenham have prepared a short list of defenders they are looking to sign and Morato happens to be one of the names on their wish list.
The 22-year-old has been an important player for Benfica this season and the Portuguese outfit are not keen on selling him midway through the campaign. The 22-year-old has a €100 million release clause in his contract and therefore Benfica are under no pressure to cash in on him.
Any club hoping to sign him in January would have to trigger his release clause and it seems highly unlikely that Tottenham will spend that kind of money for an unproven talent. Although Morato is a talented young player with potential, he has done nothing to justify the €100 million pricetag and Newcastle will only sign him if he is available for a more reasonable price.
Apparently, clubs like Nottingham Forest and Fulham were keen on signing the defender during the summer transfer window and they offered bids of around €25-30 million for the player.
The 22-year-old can operate as a central defender as well as a left-back. Tottenham have recently scouted him during the Lisbon Derby earlier this month and it will be interesting to see if they decide to test the waters with an offer.
Micky van de Ven is currently sidelined with an injury and Spurs must prioritise the signing of a central defender in January.
