According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a deal to sign Benfica striker Carlos Vinicius on loan.
It’s claimed that Vinicius has an £89million release clause, but the global pandemic means Benfica will let him go on loan with an option to buy for £36million.
Plataforma in Portugal add that Benfica have better offers on the table for Vinicius, but the player only wants to join Spurs, so Benfica’s hand is being forced.
Jorge Mendes is allegedly ‘at the forefront’ of the talks, and Mais Futebol note that whilst the deal isn’t done yet, it’s moving closer.
Another report emerged late last night, with Gianluca Di Marzio claiming that the loan will be for two years, meaning Tottenham will get to see plenty of the Brazilian before deciding whether or not to sign him.
So, who is Vinicius? The 25-year-old has previously seen with Napoli, Rio Ave and Monaco, but has really thrived at Benfica having hit 24 goals and 13 assists last season.
Ex-Benfica boss Bruno Lage was a big fan of Vinicius, telling Zero Zero last season that he felt Vinicius was a ‘powerful player’, and that is ultimately what Jose Mourinho has been seeking.
Vinicius stands at 6ft 3in tall, but also has impressive mobility for his size, meaning he can offer a real threat off the bench or when asked to fill in for Harry Kane.
This is pretty low-risk for Spurs, as they won’t lose too much if Vinicius flops, and a loan doesn’t impede Troy Parrott’s long-term development either.
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