Tottenham Hotspur are interested in moving for Benfica defender Morato as a replacement for the injured Micky Van de Ven, as per TEAMTalk.
Dutch star Van de Ven was a key member of the Tottenham side that enjoyed an excellent start to the season, with his amazing recovery pace important to Ange Postecoglou’s game plan.
However, Van de Ven suffered an injury in their game against Chelsea, and the level of the team dropped significantly afterwards with the manager forced to rely on much older, slower players like Ben Davies in the position.
Van de Ven could be on the sidelines until February with his hamstring injury so Tottenham need reinforcements at the back and it seems Postecaglou has identified Morato as the man he wants.
According to The Sun, via TeamTalk, Spurs have sent scouts to watch Morato play four times already, and are tipped to make a formal move for the Brazilian centre-back ahead of the January window.
As per the report, Morato has a release clause of £68 million in his contract at Benfica, which runs until 2027. Tottenham will be wary of the famous tough negotiation skills of the Portuguese club’s president Rui Costa, which may force them to pay the full amount to sign the 22-year-old.
Fulham registered their interest in Morato in the summer window but failed to land the Brazilian youngster, eventually settling for a cheaper alternative in Calvin Bassey.
Morato quickly becoming a top player
Morato joined Benfica from Sao Paulo for only £5 million as a teenager in 2019, and has grown in leaps and bounds since arriving in Portugal to become a first-team regular for the Portuguese champions.
This season, Morato has played 13 times for the club, sharing minutes in central defence with captain Nicolas Otamendi and Antonio Silva, who have played 20 and 17 times, respectively. He has made a total of 65 senior appearances for Benfica since his arrival at the club.
Morato played only 18 times across all competitions for Benfica as they won the league title last season, but his impressive development has seen him take on a bigger role for the side this season. Like fellow defender Antonio Silva, he looks destined for a move to the Premier League.
