Tottenham are set to sound the alarm as Atletico Madrid lurk for Rodrigo Bentancur.
Bentancur’s importance in North London has grown exponentially in recent months.
The Uruguayan has objectively been one of Spurs’ best players and has slotted into the defensive midfield role after Yves Bissouma proved unreliable for Ange Postecoglou.
This importance seems to have carried into the Thomas Frank era, with Bentancur receiving ample minutes during pre-season. However, Tottenham risk losing him to Atletico Madrid if they do not get their priorities in order.
This article includes exclusive comments from Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham.
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Tottenham must agree on a new contract with Bentancur
Bentancur’s contract at Tottenham runs out in June 2026, when he will be able to sign with another club on a free transfer.
He could even negotiate a pre-agreement with an overseas side as soon as six months before the end of his current deal. The midfielder was linked to Atletico Madrid earlier in the transfer window, and they could make a huge swoop for him in January.
As a result, Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes extending Bentancur should be a priority over the next few months.
“When Frank came in, he mentioned Bentancur almost immediately,” Wenham said.
“I think there is a concern that we need to get his contract extended because if you’re talking about backing the manager, this is somebody that Frank wants around.
“You can see that from his team selections, another start against Bayern. In the first half, he was probably our best player, along with Mohammed Kudus, in terms of just keeping things ticking over against the really aggressive, high-pressing Bayern midfield.
“He’s five months away from being able to negotiate a pre-contract. Atletico and others would happily sign him on that or wait for him to come for free in the summer. So it’s being cautious about that, and getting his contract extended is an absolute priority.”
Bentancur’s injury record could be an issue
One of the reasons why Tottenham could be hesitant to extend Bentancur is his past injury record.
The defensive midfielder has missed 55 games for Spurs since the 2021/22 season and has been out for almost 400 days as a result. This would make even the most optimistic of individuals sceptical about striking a deal.
However, upon further inspection, recurrent injuries seem to be a thing of the past. Out of the 55 games missed, only four were during the 2024/25 season and six for the season prior.
This indicates that Bentancur could mostly remain fit for the duration of his future contract with Spurs. While there is no way of knowing for certain, his current record does suggest that extending the midfielder would be a worthwhile investment.