da supremo： Tottenham Hotspur have undoubtedly been dealt a major blow of late following the loss of influential midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur due to injury, with the Uruguayan international set to be out until at least the end of the current campaign.
da dobrowin： The 25-year-old underwent successful surgery last week after rupturing his ACL during the disappointing, 4-1 defeat to Leicester City earlier this month, having only returned to action in January after sustaining an injury while on World Cup duty.
Although the Lilywhites have started strongly in his absence as academy graduate Oliver Skipp netted in stunning style in the recent win over Chelsea, it will still be of real concern for manager Antonio Conte to be without the former Juventus man for such a lengthy period of time.
Something of an “unsung hero” at times for the north Londoners – in the words of Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp – it remains to be seen just how the team will cope without the 54-cap maestro pulling the strings in midfield, with such a loss potentially set to prove pivotal in the battle to land Champions League qualification.
The fact that the playmaker’s absence is such a blow is a testament to the impact that he has made at N17 over the past 12 months or so, with sporting director Fabio Paratici having undoubtedly struck gold by acquiring the 6 foot 2 gem for an initial fee of just £16m back in January 2022.
How much is Rodrigo Bentancur worth now?
That signing of Bentancur from Turin – alongside the loan capture of teammate Dejan Kulusevski – has come to look like “phenomenal business”, according to Spurs insider John Wenham, with the one-time Boca Juniors man swiftly making himself “one of the first names on the teamsheet” – as per former ‘keeper, Paul Robinson.
To say that Paritici pulled off an astute deal is somewhat underselling it, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing the player at around £53m, representing a mammoth increase on what Tottenham paid for his services last year.
That figure has been more than justified such have been the standout performances of the £75k-per-week sensation of late, with Bentancur having scored five goals and provided two assists in 18 league appearances this season, while also recording 2.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game as a marker of his defensive prowess.
Such form has ensured that the all-action star boasts an average match rating of 7.21 in the top flight this term – as per Sofascore – with that only bettered by midfield partner Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (7.22) and talisman Harry Kane (7.38) among his teammates.
That serves to again showcase the importance of Bentancur to Conte and co in the centre of the park, with it now something of an anxious wait to see just when the key figure will be able to return to action.