The January transfer window is fast approaching and Tottenham Hotspur could look to dip into the market to bolster the depth of their defensive options.
Summer signing Micky van de Ven suffered a hamstring injury against Chelsea next month and is not due back until after the turn of the year.
Ange Postecoglou has already confirmed that the club want to sign another centre-back to add to their group and have made that search a priority.
"Important information" – Spurs enter "intense" transfer talks for defender
Pre-January negotiations are being held.
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It was recently reported by The Sun that Benfica central defender Felipe Morato, who has a £68m release clause, has emerged as a top target for the Australian head coach.
Postecoglou could now land a big upgrade on current left-sided centre-back Ben Davies by securing a deal for the Brazilian titan in January.
Ben Davies' season in numbers
The Wales international has stepped in for van de Ven and been a reliable, if not spectacular, performer at the heart of the defence alongside Emerson Royal and, since his return from suspension, Cristian Romero.
Davies has featured in 11 Premier League matches so far this season for the club and has helped his side to keep one clean sheet in that time.
The 30-year-old defender has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions combined and 3.1 ball recoveries per match, and has won 65% of his duels in total.
In possession, the £80k-per-week gem has averaged 6.41 progressive passes and 0.71 progressive carries per 90 in the Premier League this season, which ranks him within the top 9% and 50% respectively among his positional peers.
The statistics that show Morato would be a big upgrade on Davies
Meanwhile, Morato's impressive form for Benfica in Portugal suggests that he has the potential to come in as a big upgrade on the former Swansea ace.
The left-footed centre-back, who could complement the right-footed Romero on the left of the pairing, has featured in seven Liga Portugal matches this term and caught the eye with his performances.
He has averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions combined and 6.1 ball recoveries per game, which shows that the talented colossus is able to win possession back for his side far more frequently than Davies has this term for Spurs.
On the ball, Morato ranks within the top 12% of his positional peers among the Men's Next 14 competitions over the last 365 days for progressive passes (4.85) and the top 6% for progressive carries (1.50).
These statistics suggest that the 22-year-old titan, who was once described as a "magnificent" defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could offer more than Davies in terms of how often he carries the ball out from the back to start attacks, although the Tottenham man progresses the play through passes more.
Overall, Morato could be a big upgrade on the experienced defender due to his impressive defensive skills and ball-carrying ability, as he could cut out far more opposition attacks to help Spurs to keep more clean sheets whilst also being able to offer quality in possession.
Postecoglou must now push the club to secure a deal for his services as the young Brazilian could be an excellent signing for the short-term, as an upgrade on Davies, and the long-term, as he is eight years younger than the Welsh ace.