Tottenham are already scouting solutions to their left-flank shortage ahead of January, and one name on the list comes with baggage.
Roberto De Zerbi has clarified that leaving Mathys Tel out of the squad for the Aston Villa game was a tactical call, not an injury issue — a tough moment for the Frenchman, who has enjoyed strong backing from his manager but hasn’t made the most of his chances.
With Wilson Odobert and Mykhailo Mudryk sidelined through injury, bringing in fresh depth on the left wing looks like it could become a priority for Spurs in the winter window, and an Argentine wonderkid has emerged as a possible target.
Portuguese outlet O Jogo reports that Tottenham are among several clubs monitoring Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who has been in electric form this season. The 20-year-old has racked up five goals and three assists in seven league outings, on top of three goals in four Europa League qualifiers. Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid are also keeping tabs on him, with scouts from all three clubs reportedly present for Benfica’s recent meeting with Porto to watch him in action.
Prestianni’s name will be familiar to some fans following an incident during a Champions League play-off against Real Madrid back in February, when he was accused of directing a racist comment at Vinicius Jr. Under UEFA rules, a proven racism charge carries an automatic 10-match ban, but that particular allegation wasn’t substantiated. He was ultimately banned for six games instead after admitting to a homophobic slur.
O Jogo suggests both Spurs and Atletico could look to move for the youngster as soon as January. He’s tied to Benfica until 2029 and carries a hefty €100m release clause, but his current valuation sits much lower at around €20m — a figure likely to climb if his scoring form continues into the new year. Whether his past controversy affects interest in him remains to be seen.
