Tottenham Hotspur are confident in reaching an agreement with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur over a new contract.
Bentancur’s existing deal had been due to expire in the summer of 2026.
The Uruguay international, 28, has made nine appearances in all competitions this season, starting eight of his side’s 10 matches under new head coach Thomas Frank.
Bentancur has made 122 appearances for the club since joining from Juventus in January 2022, either side of nine months out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 2023.
He would become the latest Spurs player to commit his future to the club after captain Cristian Romero signed a new four-year deal in August.
Bentancur was an important figure in Tottenham’s Europa League success last season as Spurs ended their 17-year wait for a major trophy. He played the full 90 minutes in both quarter-final and semi-final legs and in the victory over Manchester United in the final.
In November, he was banned for seven matches by the Football Association (FA) after making a racist comment about team-mate Son Heung-min, for which he later apologised.
Asked about Bentancur’s future during a September press conference, Frank said: “I’m very happy with Rodri. He’s been a very good player for us, a top professional in every aspect. I’m happy with him, he’s happy with being here. I know that for a fact. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the future.”
Spurs strengthened in midfield in the summer with the loan addition of Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich, with the deal including an option to make the transfer permanent for €30million (£25.9m, $34.2m) at the end of the season.
Fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma is also out of contract in the summer and is yet to feature this season. He was left out of the UEFA Super Cup final squad due to timekeeping issues and has since been sidelined with an injury sustained in training.
‘Bentancur contract reflects midfielder’s growing importance’ – analysis
Bentancur had a disrupted start to last season with Spurs. The Uruguay international suffered two separate concussions and was suspended by the FA for seven games for making a racist comment about Son.
After Christmas, he became then head coach Ange Postecoglou’s first-choice defensive midfielder. Bentancur started all of their games in the knockout stages of the Europa League, apart from the second leg of their last 16 tie against AZ Alkmaar, and played a key role in the final.
Bentancur and Bissouma both entered the final year of their contracts in the summer. Bentancur impressed Frank during the pre-season tour to Hong Kong and South Korea. Bissouma was dropped from the UEFA Super Cup squad for persistent timekeeping issues and has missed all of their games since through injury. It became clear that Frank favoured Bentancur and this new contract will recognise his growing importance.
It is crucial for Spurs that they retain their best players as the squad continues to evolve under Frank. They have a young core but Bentancur and Romero’s contract extensions mean they can rely on two of their most experienced players.
The long-term plan might be for Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray to permanently take over from Bentancur and Joao Palhinha but for now the latter are valuable members of the starting XI.
(Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)