Reported Tottenham and Everton targets allegedly left out of squad with no future under manager

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Jota and Tomas Tavares are not part of Jorge Jesus’s plans at Benfica amid speculation linking Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and West Ham United with the highly-rated duo, according to Record.

The Lisbon giants have certainly made a statement in the transfer market, splashing the cash like Augustus Gloop in the Cadbury’s World gift shop as they look to snatch the Portuguese crown off the heads of bitter rivals Porto.

During a stunning summer window, Benfica have spent over £70 million on new additions, including Jan Vertonghen, Brazil international Everton Soares and new £22 million record signing Darwin Nunez.

But with Jorge Jesus’s side investing heavily in an attempt to re-claim their place at the top of the Primeira Liga, there is a rather disappointing downside.

According to Record, two of the most exciting youngsters in Iberian football have slipped down the pecking order and now have no future under a veteran coach recently returned for a second spell at the Estadio da Luz after securing an historic treble at Flamengo.

Record adds that neither Jota nor Tavares will travel to Greece for tonight’s Champions League qualification clash with PAOK.

Everton and West Ham have shown an interest in 21-year-old Jota, a highly-rated left-winger who has fallen behind the explosive Everton Soares in Benfica’s pecking order.

Tavares, meanwhile, is a £9 million target for Tottenham.

Portuguese tactician Jose Mourinho, who brought Victor Lindelof and Diego Dalot to Old Trafford, is keen to raid a market he knows better than most for another talented young defender (Mirror, 23 August, page 58).