Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Benfica defender Ruben Dias recently.
Tottenham Hotspur look unlikely to splash the cash in January, with Jose Mourinho so far seemingly keen to keep the faith with his current squad.
Mourinho may end up needing to re-tool his squad next summer though, and the centre of defence looks to be one of the more concerning areas.
Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are both out of contract at the end of the season, Davinson Sanchez has endured a mixed season so far, Juan Foyth may be a right back moving forward and Japhet Tanganga may need more first-team experience.
Last week, The Independent reported that Mourinho wants to make four signings in the future, revamping his defence except for trying to build around Alderweireld.
That means at least one centre back is likely to be brought in, and The Independent reported almost straight after Mourinho’s appointment at Spurs that he wanted Ruben Dias at Tottenham.
The Portuguese international has been starring with Benfica, and as a strong and aggressive centre back with a huge future ahead of him, he looks to be just what Mourinho is looking for at Spurs.
At the time of the rumour, Dias had a £59million release clause in his contract, as reported by The Mirror. Now though, his price has dramatically increased.
Benfica confirmed at the end of November that Dias has signed a new contract with the club until 2024, adding that his release clause has now been increased to €100million – around £84million.
That figured would blow Tottenham’s club-record transfer fee out of the water, and that doesn’t really seem like something Daniel Levy will be doing any time soon.
Spending more than £80million on a 22-year-old defender seems unlikely for Spurs, even if Mourinho does love Dias, and a move seems very unlikely now that new deal has been signed, leaving Mourinho to potentially look to other defensive options.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
