Tottenham may need to rethink midfield rebuild as Bentancur proves his value

Tottenham spent £185 million signing two midfielders, but after three Premier League matches in the new season, Rodrigo Bentancur has already started twice. He is reminding the club through his performances that the core of the midfield rebuild may still be this familiar figure.

From “he is the reason” to being held back by injuries

Tottenham fans once sang that Bentancur was “the reason.” In the 2021/22 season, especially after Conte took charge, the Uruguayan midfielder was the engine of the team's midfield. He formed a strong partnership with Højbjerg and was once regarded as one of the top midfielders in north London, with some even considering him Tottenham's most important player. Without Bentancur, Tottenham might not have secured Champions League qualification at that time.

But in February 2023, Bentancur suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury against Leicester City. In the following years, he was no longer the same player. Problems with his knee, ankle and hamstring caused repeated absences and prevented him from finding consistent form.

A midfield partnership criticized as “too safe”

For a period last season, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank used Bentancur and Palhinha as the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The partnership received heavy criticism, especially at home, where the team was accused of playing too conservatively and too safely.

Because of this, when Tottenham spent £185 million to sign Tonali from Newcastle and Fernandes from West Ham, many people believed Bentancur would be pushed aside. The expectation at the time was that Tonali and Fernandes would become the double pivot in De Zerbi's 4-2-3-1 system.

Two starts in three matches, he responded with defensive numbers

However, after three Premier League matches of the new season, Bentancur has already started twice. In Tottenham's 0-3 defeat to Brentford last month, he replaced the struggling Lucas Bergvall at halftime. Bentancur currently ranks fifth in Tottenham's squad with 225 total league minutes played.

Tottenham's start has indeed been disappointing. Against Brentford, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, they collected only one point, and they are among the three teams in this season's English top flight yet to score a league goal.

However, Saturday's 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest was a positive sign. Tottenham looked more threatening in attack but failed to beat the opposing goalkeeper.

The standout performer was still Bentancur

What was truly impressive was Bentancur's individual performance. The former Juventus midfielder could be considered Tottenham's best player at the City Ground. He completed the unnoticed but crucial defensive tasks that helped the team earn its first point of the season. Compared with the previous consecutive defeats against Brentford and Newcastle, Tottenham were clearly much harder to break down in this match.

The statistics tell the story: Bentancur made nine clearances, two interceptions and one tackle during the match. He also recovered possession five times, won six duels and four aerial battles. While Tonali and Fernandes are still adapting to their new surroundings, Bentancur has already proven in the most direct way that De Zerbi's midfield rebuild may not need to exclude him.