Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa to the signature of Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, according to Sky Sports.
Sky Sports are reporting this afternoon that Tottenham have agreed a £20 million fee with Juventus over the transfer of Bentancur.
The midfielder is expected to fly out to London later today to undergo a medical and then complete his move to Tottenham, according to the report.
Bentancur is actually with the Uruguay national football team preparing for their game against Venezuela on Tuesday.
So, it remains to be seen if the midfielder actually flies to England or undergoes a medical back in Uruguay.
This is a blow for Gerrard’s Villa, who have also been linked with the 24-year-old Uruguay international midfielder as well.
Earlier this week, Sky Sports reported that Villa had made a bid of £16.5 million plus more than £4 million in bonuses, but Juventus rejected it because they want £21 million upfront for Bentancur.
It seems that Tottenham have met Juventus’s demands.
Tottenham Hotspur more appealing to Rodrigo Bentancur than Aston Villa
In our view, Tottenham were always the more likely destination for Bentancur than Villa.
It was Tottenham managing director of football Fabio Paratici who signed the Uruguayan midfielder for Juventus in 2017.
And obviously there is a connection there now.
Even if Villa had matched Tottenham’s offer for the former Boca Juniors youngster, Spurs would have been more appealing to the player.
After all, Tottenham could finish in the Premier League top four this season and have a world-class manager in Antonio Conte.
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