Roberto De Zerbi has been tipped to unleash a forgotten Tottenham Hotspur star who is 'not everyone's cup of tea', by Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold.
The Italian was confirmed as Tottenham's new manager on a five-year deal this week, with the north London outfit landing the manager they have wanted for months, and who was their top target if their search extended to the summer.
Spurs' precarious position in the Premier League meant they had to act now, with De Zerbi performing a U-turn and taking the job now having been offered a long-term contract to put him in the top three best-paid managers in the Premier League.
Tottenham have also offered De Zerbi further power away from just the playing side of things as part of the new project, with GIVEMESPORT sources understanding that the 46-year-old will have a say on who the club's next sporting director will be.
Before that, the former Brighton boss needs to keep the club in the top flight, with Spurs lying one point above the relegation zone and an unthinkable relegation to the Championship with just seven matches left to play.
Gold: De Zerbi Will Really Like Rodrigo Bentancur
Now De Zerbi's appointment has been confirmed, and fan excitement is building at the coup the club has pulled off, Gold has begun to think about which players could potentially thrive under the Italian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 46-year-old has a distinct and unique way of playing that has seen Guardiola previously label him as 'one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years', while Liverpool boss Arne Slot called him 'one of the best managers in the world' before his side's Champions League tie with Marseille at the beginning of the year.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold tipped the divisive Bentancur as someone De Zerbi could immediately take to.
He said: "I've got a funny feeling that he's going to like Rodrigo Bentancur as well.
"I know he's a player that's not everyone's cup of tea. But I think in terms of tactical and possession-based football, yes, he can be a little bit iffy with his passing sometimes, but actually as someone that was used to being in the hub of that Juventus team, the three-time Serie A title winner could fit in quite well."
Having been a regular in the Tottenham team in the first half of the season under Thomas Frank, the Uruguay international has become a forgotten man having been out since January after suffering a hamstring injury against Bournemouth.
The 28-year-old underwent surgery at the time and the latest update prior to the international break was that the South American was progressing well in his recovery.
Whether that progress is enough to see him make De Zerbi's first matchday squad remains to be seen, but it seems as though he has a good chance of being available for selection for the trip to Sunderland on April 12 unless he suffers any setbacks.