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Tottenham backed to sell South American star with fast expiring contract

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated May 10, 2025 9:35 AM ET

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been attracting interest from La Liga club Atletico Madrid

Tottenham Hotspur have a golden opportunity of lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy after booking their place in the final on Thursday evening.

Spurs beat Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate to set up an all-English Europa League final against Manchester United at San Mames in Bilbao later this month. However, whatever happens in Europe, Ange Postecoglou is still expected to leave the club at the end of the season, and the Australian tactician is unlikely to be the only person headed for the exit door at Hotspur Way.

Several players are expected to follow their gaffer out of Spurs, including a couple of senior stars. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the future of Cristian Romero in recent months. It is reported that the Argentina international will seek to push for a move away to Atletico Madrid after the Europa League final, having already held talks with their boss Diego Simeone.

Atletico Madrid are not only interested in one Tottenham player. Los Rojiblancos have also been keen on signing Rodrigo Bentancur. There has been speculation around a new contract for the central midfielder, as he heads into the final year of his deal in North London.

While negotiations are yet to begin, Atletico Madrid could test Tottenham’s waters when the transfer window reopens. Speaking on the View from the Lane, the Athletic’s James Maw has been discussing the future of Rodrigo Bentancur.

“There’s also a bit of an issue with midfield since Bentancur has one year left on his deal,” James Maw said on the View from the Lane Podcast.

“Purely based on rumours emanating from Spain that Atletico Madrid wanted Bentancur and the fact there’s interest there, I’d shift him.”

Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King has urged Spurs to sell Bentancur this summer. He thinks the Lilywhites would demand at least £35million to sell the Uruguayan international. And Atletico aren’t the only club interested from Spain; Barcelona are keeping tabs too on the 27-year-old, who has been a mainstay under Ange Postecoglou and has become a senior figure in the dressing room for Tottenham.

With interest emanating from La Liga, Bentancur and his agents are likely to use it as leverage in his contract talks, aiming to secure improved terms when negotiations with the club kicks on. In case a new deal cannot be agreed upon, Spurs must prefer to cash the South American talent in this summer rather than risk losing him for free in 2026.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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