By OkayGoal
Tottenham are reportedly scouting a 20-year-old Cruzeiro goalkeeper called Otavio as a long-term answer between the sticks, but Nottingham Forest, Napoli, Porto and Borussia Dortmund are all circling.
The search follows the summer exit of Guglielmo Vicario, who joined Juventus on a season-long loan in August. That left Roberto De Zerbi with Martin Dubravka, Antonin Kinsky and Brandon Austin as his senior options.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest have both sent scouts to watch the youngster, who has been one of Brazil’s brightest prospects since he took his chance in the first team after an injury to veteran Cassio.
Spurs are searching the global market for a young goalkeeper, and the hunt has now taken them to South America.
Otavio transfer: how much will Cruzeiro want?
Cruzeiro tied the shot-stopper down to a new contract in August, running until 2031 and including an £84m release clause for foreign clubs. Nobody is expected to pay that in full, but the Brazilian club will reportedly demand an initial fee of £21m to £25m before entertaining serious talks.
Forest already tried in the summer with an approach worth roughly £11m. Cruzeiro called it derisory and ended the negotiations to protect the value of their prized asset.
The club are in a strong position at the table. They have no pressing need to sell while they chase domestic and continental honours.
Otavio and Tottenham: who else is in the race?
Spurs and Forest are understood to face significant competition from Napoli, Porto and Dortmund. The German club have already made formal enquiries about his contract situation.
Otavio is keen to prove himself in one of Europe’s top five leagues and may push for a move within the next two transfer windows. He recently received his first senior Brazil call-up and made his international debut in a September friendly against Australia.
It would be a big outlay on a 20-year-old for Spurs, who already have Kinsky as a young keeper on the books. A fee in the £21m to £25m range would be a statement of intent about the long-term plan.
Author opinion: a gamble worth watching?
With Vicario on loan and Dubravka the experienced head, N17 clearly wants a younger name for the future. Otavio fits that profile, but the price and the crowd of rivals make this a long way from done. Expect Cruzeiro to hold firm, and expect Dortmund’s early enquiry to keep the Lilywhites honest.