---
title: "Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs interested in Benfica’s Tomas Tavares"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tottenham-transfer-interested-tomas-tavares-aurier-mourinho/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Premier League"
published: "2020-08-24T13:00:50Z"
modified: "2020-08-24T13:00:50Z"
---

# Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs interested in Benfica’s Tomas Tavares

**Tottenham’s search for defensive reinforcements has led to them taking an interest in Benfica youngster Tomas Tavares.**

That is according to a report in the print edition of the Sunday People \[23/8; page 58, via [Football.London](https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/transfer-news/tottenham-transfer-rumours-ivan-rakitic-18816235)\], which claimed that Spurs are ‘showing keen interest’ in signing the 19-year-old right-back.

The report said that the Premier League side are at the head of the queue alongside Champions League quarter-finalists Atalanta in the pursuit of the teenager.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png)

Tavares [broke into Benfica’s first team](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tomas-tavares/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/550549) last season, making 26 appearances for the senior side and starting five of their Champions League group games (as per [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tomas-tavares/leistungsdaten/spieler/550549)).

The youngster posted some respectable performance averages in 2019/20, with 2.3 successful tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 0.8 successful dribbles, along with a passing success rate of 82.2% (as per [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/382647/Show/Tomas-Tavares)).

\[freshpress-quiz id=”305520″\]

Aside from the latter figure, his averages are slightly inferior to those posted by Tottenham right-back [Serge Aurier](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tottenham-transfer-rumours/tottenham-hotspur-serge-aurier-reportedly-close-to-18-million-ac-milan-move/) last term, with the Ivorian recording 2.7 successful tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 successful dribbles per game (as per [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/83683/Show/Serge-Aurier)). Nonetheless, considering that Tavares [only turned 19 in March](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tomas-tavares/profil/spieler/550549) and Aurier is 27, the Benfica teenager’s figures make for promising reading.

Also, Jose Mourinho is far from blessed with right-back options – indeed, after the [sale of Kyle Walker-Peters](https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-08-11/southampton-football-club-transfer-announcement-kyle-walker-peters-signing) to Southampton, Aurier is now the [only natural option in that position](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tottenham-hotspur/kadernachposition/verein/148) at Spurs, and the Ivorian has had to contend with [strong criticism](https://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/does-tottenhams-aurier-deserve-the-criticism-he-gets/1eiw3m8s8t44x1i66sjczmtgps) over some of his performances. He may not even be at the club a whole lot longer himself, with [reports of AC Milan wanting to sign him](https://www.milannews24.com/gazzetta-milan-passi-in-avanti-per-aurier-ma-tocca-elliott/).

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png)

Tavares is still quite raw, having played just [26 first team games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/tomas-tavares/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/550549) in his career so far, although his exposure to Champions League football at such a young age should stand to him. Also, his 2019/20 performance averages are encouraging, particularly considering that he has plenty of time on his side to improve even further.

\[freshpress-poll id=”315401″\]

Signing him may seem like a gamble for Tottenham but, with a dearth of right-back options and some doubts over the future of the maligned Aurier, it is a position in which they badly need to strengthen, and Tavares would at worst offer them valuable depth in that area.

***Tottenham fans, would you like to have Tavares at Spurs or do they need to look elsewhere for right-back reinforcements? Join in the discussion by commenting below!***