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Spurs eyeing ‘complete and dominant’ 22-year-old likened to Aymeric Laporte
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking for defensive reinforcements ahead of the January transfer window.
Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs will be without Micky van de Ven for a few months after his hamstring injury in Spurs’ 4-1 loss to Chelsea earlier this month.
Tottenham could also be set to lose Eric Dier in January. His contract only runs until 2024 and they may well look to sell him for a small fee rather than lose him for nothing.
The has now reported that Spurs are looking at Morato, a 22-year-old Brazilian defender who has been likened to Manchester City cult hero Aymeric Laporte.
Morato joined the Portuguese giants from Sao Paulo in 2019, starting out in the B team before breaking into the first team the following year.
The 6ft 3in powerhouse has made 60 competitive appearances for Benfica, winning last year’s Primeira Liga title as well as the Portuguese Supercup.
However, Morato has slipped down the pecking order, with just 10 outings and 747 minutes under his belt this term.
With that in mind, Tottenham may well fancy their chances of signing him, as he no longer seems indispensable for the Portuguese giants.
Tottenham eyeing Aymeric Laporte 2.0?
In 2020, Jacek Kulig of compared the reported Spurs target to Manchester City legend Aymeric Laporte and gave him a 9 out of 10 rating in terms of potential.
Kulig also described Morato as a “complete and dominant” centre-back. The left-footer’s strengths include pace, tackling, positioning, anticipation, heading, physical strength and charisma.
In terms of a ballpark figure, Transfermarkt has him down as €13million (around £11.3million). However, Benfica may well want more, considering his talent and experience at such a young age.
All in all, Morato seems like a good shout for Spurs. Let’s see whether they firm up their interest in the coming weeks.