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Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to make a January move for a versatile defender, with Ange Postecoglou looking to add more depth to his squad.
The Australian manager has already stated that the club are in the market for a defender in the upcoming transfer window, due to the long-term injury suffered by Micky van de Ven leaving the club depleted in defence.
And it seems Tottenham have identified the ideal player to arrive in North London, having sent scouts to watch him on multiple occasions over the course of the season.
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Tottenham Hotspur will make a bid in the upcoming transfer window for Benfica defender Morato.
The 22-year-old joined Benfica as a youngster in 2019 from Sau Paolo, costing the Portuguese giants just €6m. Morato has only just properly broken into the first team this season, though, starting games at both left-back and centre-back to prove his versatility.
Comfortable on the ball, Morato is an aggressive defender who loves to press the ball. He’s also aggressive in an attacking sense, breaking lines with progressive passes that will perfectly fit into Ange Postecoglou’s tactical vision.
Morato would provide cover for both Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie when either is unavailable, improving the squad depth. While Ben Davies has filled in adequately over the last few weeks, Postecoglou did admit that “ultimately we need to sign another centre-back”.
Fulham had an £18m bid rejected in July for Morato, with Benfica recognising his future value to the team due to his ability. Indeed, with his contract running until June 2027, Morato has a reported release clause of £68m – which Tottenham Hotspur might have to match in order to secure his services.
More Tottenham Hotspur stories
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou opens up on recruitment at Spurs in his exclusive interview with FourFourTwo. James Maddison discusses the impact made by the Australian manager in his short time at the north London club and Harry Kane tells FourFourTwo what it was like on the day he left Tottenham to join Bayern Munich.
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid and France star Antoine Griezmann. Meanwhile, a former Barcelona defender could potentially be on his way to Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford could also be set to join him, having agreed personal terms with Barcelona. Almost half a year after leaving Manchester United as a free agent, David de Gea could be close to sealing a move to a new club.
