Tottenham join Arsenal tussle for 21-year-old – Remarkable rise continues

Tottenham join Arsenal, Juventus, Inter and others in pursuit of Monza striker Varela, Serie A's leading scorer with 9 goals in 10 games.

Tottenham have joined a growing list of European clubs interested in Gustavo Varela, the 21-year-old Monza striker who has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year. Twelve months ago, Varela was struggling for minutes on loan at Gil Vicente. Now he is Serie A's leading scorer with nine goals in ten matches and has earned his first senior Portugal call-up after impressing Jorge Jesus.

Alongside Spurs, Juventus, Inter, Arsenal, Napoli and Barcelona are all monitoring the Portuguese forward. A Bola reports that Monza value him at €40-50m, a significant sum considering how recently they signed him. Benfica hold a 20% sell-on clause that could net them at least €7.6m from any deal.

However, a January move looks unlikely. Monza are battling near the bottom of Serie A and view Varela as crucial to their survival bid. Selling their leading scorer mid-season would undermine their relegation fight, making the club reluctant to negotiate despite the financial temptation.