Big Tottenham exit mooted as LaLiga giants ‘test the ground’ over signing; second sale increasingly likely

Rob McCarthy 24 Mar 2025 4:16 PM

Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma could both quit Spurs this summer

Tottenham Hotspur could open next season with a whole new midfield following a fresh update on the future of Rodrigo Bentancur, while TT can also confirm that the club are also giving major consideration to another big sale.

After a season of struggle domestically, in which Ange Postecoglou’s first-team squad has been stretched to almost beyond its limits due to injuries, it’s expected that this summer will be a busy one to make sure that same scenario does not play out again.

Whether Postecoglou remains at the helm or not, Tottenham are expected to make major changes to their central midfield area, where the likes of Yves Bissouma and, to a lesser extent, Bentancur have underperformed for much of the season.

Indeed, the latter is still seemingly reaching out for the sort of form he was showing before his ACL injury in February 2023, although there have been moments more recently where he has looked like getting back to somewhere near his best.

It was reported last month that discussions have been held with the Uruguay international over a new deal in north London, with his current one ending in the summer of 2026. However, he has not made a move as yet to show that he is ready to commit and now a fresh report from Spain suggests a switch to LaLiga could be on the cards.

Relevo journalist Matteo Moretto suggests Bentancur might be of interest to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid this summer.

Indeed Moretto is quoted as saying ‘one of the footballers that Atletico has recently asked about is the Uruguayan of Tottenham Rodrigo Bentancur. The former Juventus player is 27 and has played 32 games in all competitions in the Spurs jersey this year. At the moment I cannot say that there is a real negotiation between the parties because it is still early, but Atletico has had contacts to test the ground for June’.

Links to Atletico are perhaps not that surprising, given that Bentancur’s game is arguably more suited to Spanish football than English. In Postecoglou’s very open midfield, he is asked to cover a lot of ground and often ends up looking frustrated as he fails to last 90 minutes.

Much will now depend on Bentancur’s stance when it comes to the reported contract offer on the table for him and whether he feels he is ready commit to another three or four more years in north London.

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All change in Tottenham’s midfield

As we reported above though, Bentancur won’t potentially be the only Spurs midfielder to move on this summer – given that it looks increasingly likely Bissouma will be shown the door.

TT have been told that Tottenham are giving serious consideration to the Mali star’s exit, with Bissouma having failed to deliver the sort of form he displayed while on the south coast at Brighton.

Indeed, the 28-year-old has proven to be a major disappointment in a Spurs shirt and has failed to show any sort of consistency under successive managers.

If Bentancur and Bissouma both move on, that only leaves young trio Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Sarr to fill the void, and there is every chance that two new additions come in.

Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso could well be the first name through the door, given that Tottenham have a £21million option to buy the USA international in the first couple of weeks of the summer window.

Other central midfielders linked with the club include Wolves acee Joao Gomes, who could be part of a double raid on Molineux for Spurs this summer.

Lille and England star Angel Gomes continues to be linked with a return to the Premier League and could head to the capital, while Tottenham are also big fans of Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton and Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham.