I’m interested to play for Tottenham… The “BEAST” is here… Daniel levy is ready to bring Cristian Romero clone for £68m in January

Ange Postecoglou‘s revolution down the N17 took something of a hit as his Tottenham Hotspur team’s fragility in depth was illuminated by that fateful evening against Chelsea, led by former boss Mauricio Pochettino, in November.

An unbeaten start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign was shattered, and influential summer signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven picked up injuries that plague them to date.
Had Spurs received somewhat more fortuitous fortunes on the injury front over the past several weeks, it’s quite possible to imagine that Postecoglou would remain in the conversation for the Premier League title as the festive period nears its closing stage.
Indeed, Tottenham remain just six points away from table-topping neighbours Arsenal and just a single point away from fourth-placed champions Manchester City, but it’s unrealistic to think that a challenge for silver-laden success is something feasible without astute work in the January transfer window.

Tottenham transfer news – Morato

According to a recent report from The Sun, Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy is considering launching an official approach for Brazilian prodigy Morato, who has caught the eye with his performances for SL Benfica.

Morato, aged 22, has a £68m release clause embedded in his contract but it is understood that Benfica recognise that such demands will not be met by interested parties and thus have valued him at around €30m (£26m).

Spurs are compiling a list of various defensive targets ahead of the opening of the winter market and could be enticed by Morato’s left-footedness, with Van de Ven’s void highlighting the lack of options in that area of the pitch.

Morato’s style of play

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed Morato a “complete & dominant” type of defender, with his imposing stature and towering frame making for the perfect titan to decimate attacking efforts from hapless opposition.

Having chalked up 66 appearances for his Portuguese outfit since signing from Brazilian team Sao Paulo for around £5min 2019, Morato has done enough with his displays to warrant attention from clubs such as Tottenham, with Nottingham Forest also failing with an offer in the summer.

Not quite earning a prominent role in the team throughout the opening months of the campaign, Morato has recently established himself as a starring member of Roger Schmidt’s side and has started the past five matches in Liga Portugal.

As per Sofascore, the 6 foot 3 colossus has completed 81% of his passes across his eight league outings this term and has averaged a key pass every other game, also impressively making 3.0 tackles, 6.0 ball recoveries and 2.1 clearances per game and succeeding in 61% of his contested duels.

While Morato is principally a central defender, he has also been fielded at left-back for the Eagles in a kind of positional fluidity that aligns with Postecoglou’s interchanging style.

morato-benfica-premier-league

To showcase his dynamism, Morato ranks among the top 3% of centre-halfs across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal for assists, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries, the top 11% for successful take-ons and the top 1% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

Hailed as a “beast” at the back by journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango, Morato certainly offers the kind of modern skill set that would be a good fit for an ambitious Premier League team such as Tottenham, with an excellent ball-playing ability and an aggressiveness that mirrors that of Cristian Romero.

How Morato compares to Cristian Romero

Signing from Serie A side Atalanta for a fee in the region of £42m back in 2021, Romero has amassed 78 displays for Tottenham and has proved himself top be one of the toughest-tackling defenders in the country, even proclaimed to be a “Rolls-Royce” of a player by pundit Martin Keown.

Romero ranks among the top 13% of positional peers for goals scored, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for passes attempted and pass completion, the top 18% for blocks and the top 6% for tackles per 90.

This season, having scored three goals from just 14 matches in the Premier League, the £165k-per-week ace has completed 92% of his passes, averaging 2.2 tackles, 6.1 recoveries and 3.6 clearances per game while remarkably winning 71% of his duels.

Such metrics underscore Romero’s brilliance at the back but also highlight how Morato could serve as the perfect understudy, boasting similar levels of tackling and assuredness in challenges.

Commenting on Tottenham’s improved defensive efforts this season, Postecoglou was quick to credit the Argentine World Cup winner with a central role, saying (as relayed by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare): “A big part of that is Romero. He makes them (the rest of the back 5 who had never or barely played in the PL) feel like they belong and that they can flourish. He’s an outstanding defender, someone you want in your team. Ridiculous bravery.”

With Romero noted for his immense tackling faculty (though, admittedly, struggling with the disciplinary side of things at times), Spurs wield one of the most fearsome units to protect their goal in Europe, and it’s definitely not a bold claim to suggest that the lion’s share of top European teams would only be too eager to snap up his services.

Morato is making more tackles than Romero on average per game; bringing a player of such strength to English shores would be a sure-fire way for Postecoglou to improve his club’s chance of rising to the forefront of the European game over the coming years.
With the likes of Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Emerson Royal all serving as stand-ins in the Spurs rearguard this season, Morato would be the dream addition to bolster the ranks and continue to shape the squad to Postecoglou’s creation.


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