‘Accelerate’ – Fabrizio Romano reveals new suitor for Tottenham DM target
With the £55 million capture of Mohammed Kudus to patrol the right flank and an agreement for Morgan Gibbs-White seemingly only being delayed by Nottingham Forest’s brinkmanship, Tottenham Hotspur can at last zero-in on the area of the squad that remains genuinely threadbare: the holding midfield.
Head coach Thomas Frank, freshly installed and eager to imprint his authoritative pressing style on Spurs, wants two—and ideally three—specialists who can anchor transitions, break up counters, and initiate the first attacking pass. The urgency intensified the moment Arsenal gazumped Frank for his long-time Brentford lieutenant Christian Nørgaard earlier in the window; Spurs were left without their preferred “tempo-setter” and without a clear Plan B.
Plenty of names have been kicked around inside Hotspur Way—João Neves, Éderson, Youssouf Fofana—but the most intriguing, and arguably most affordable, is Colombia international Richard Ríos. The 25-year-old exploded onto the wider European radar during last year’s Copa América, where he married relentless ball-winning with crisp, progressive passing, then reinforced that impression for Palmeiras at the Club World Cup this past winter. At roughly €30 million, he looks a bargain in a market where Chelsea have normalised nine-figure fees for defensive midfielders.
The state of the chase
Until recently AS Roma appeared closest to meeting Palmeiras’ valuation, yet their negotiations drifted and, according to Italian reports, the Giallorossi have now all but withdrawn. That hesitation invited Tottenham to move unhindered—until Benfica decided to act. Renowned transfer insider Fabrizio Romano claims the Lisbon club’s new sporting director has flown to São Paulo on a “mission” to wrap up Ríos in face-to-face talks this weekend, determined to accelerate a deal before anyone else can pounce.
For Spurs, that development transforms a leisurely scouting exercise into a dash against the clock. Frank has already earmarked Ríos as a scheme-fit: the Colombian’s capacity to slide wide and protect adventurous full-backs dovetails with Pedro Porro’s high-octane overlaps; his burst over the first five yards can smother opposition number tens before they turn, a trait Spurs lacked once Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s form tailed off last season. Crucially, Ríos is also comfortable feeding line-breaking passes into the half-spaces that Kudus and Gibbs-White are expected to occupy—a key nuance of Frank’s 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid.
The risk of waiting
Chairman Daniel Levy’s reputation for brinkmanship has yielded cut-price steals in the past, yet the current market punishes hesitation: Brighton are demanding well north of £80 million for João Pedro, Crystal Palace insist Adam Wharton is a £100 million asset after his breakout campaign, and even relatively unproven prospects like Archie Gray fetched premium figures this summer. By contrast, Ríos’ release clause hovers around the €30 million mark—small change next to those quoted sums, but an amount Benfica are more than willing to wire promptly.
Should Spurs dawdle into August, the pool of affordable, Premier-League-ready No. 6 options will shrink alarmingly. Europa League qualifiers begin mid-month; the Champions League group-stage draw looms on 29 August; Frank needs his midfield shield bedded in long before that. Landing Richard Ríos in the next fortnight would give the Colombian time to acclimate, offer the coach tactical clarity throughout pre-season, and, not least, reassure anxious supporters that Tottenham’s new era under Frank will be underpinned by steel as well as style.
In short, Spurs have addressed their attack; now they must show equal conviction at the base of midfield. If Levy and the recruitment team hesitate once more, Benfica could snatch Ríos out from under their noses—and Tottenham would find themselves scrambling for alternatives in a seller’s market that only gets pricier by the day.