After the turgid season Tottenham Hotspur have undergone up until now, it will especially be telling if one of their players is still open to committing their long-term future at Spurs.
Such a commitment will signal that Ange Postecoglou well and truly still has backers within the dressing room.
While Tottenham have won back-to-back games against Manchester United and Ipswich Town, they are still sitting in 12th place in the Premier League and eliminated from the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup — setbacks that could perhaps be deemed enough to lose faith in Postecoglou.
However, the Lilywhites boss seems to especially have earned his players’ trust because he spearheaded them to a fifth-placed finish in the league last season.
Furthermore, Tottenham’s players were motivated by the cup competitions and they could still win the Europa League.
In addition, the Spurs project is an exciting one to be a part of as they seem to be building around young prospects such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.
Tottenham open talks to extend Rodrigo Bentancur contract
But it is important to surrounding such youngsters with experience and Tottenham have plenty of reliable senior players at their disposal, from Heung min-Son to Rodrigo Bentancur.
Bentancur, who was signed for £15.7 million (The Athletic) in 2022 is a player who Ange Postecoglou has relied upon time and again to operate as the number six in his system.
The Daily Mail have now reported that Tottenham have opened talks with the Uruguayan midfielder to extend his contract beyond 2026.
Spurs have held preliminary talks with Bentancur — who Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer lauded with a view to tie him down on a long-term basis.
But so far, no agreement has been reached between both parties.
Tottenham consider Bentancur as a key first-team player, which explains their decision to continue their association with the former Juventus technician.
How Tottenham staff view Bentancur explains why contract talks are key
Tottenham’s staff have noticed Bentancur’s leadership behind the scenes.
The versatile midfielder is considered rather quiet and yet a figure who command respect from his teammates.
Spurs’ staff believe Bentancur’s presence is a “growing” one in what is quite a young squad.
Apart from his quality, perhaps one of the reasons why Tottenham seem keen on extending Bentancur’s contract is due to him being one of their leaders.
The prospect of losing such a crucial player would be costly for the North Londoners.
As a result, it will be interesting to discover whether Bentancur puts pen to paper.