Tottenham bid rejected for 19-year-old Santos left-back as Thomas Frank prioritises youth

Tottenham Hotspur have had an opening bid rejected for Santos left-back Souza as their search for defensive reinforcements continues in the winter transfer window.

They had an £8 million offer rejected by Santos, who are reluctant to part with one of their most promising young assets.

Santos believe Souza’s value will rise significantly and are under no pressure to sell him at this stage of his development.

The Brazilian club included substantial protection in his contract, with a €60 million release clause for domestic clubs and a €100 million clause for overseas clubs.

Those figures underline how highly Souza is rated internally despite his relatively limited senior experience.

Souza progressed through Santos’ academy system and made his top-flight debut in May last year.

He made 24 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A during the campaign and helped them avoid relegation.

The teenager also gained valuable exposure at international youth level with Brazil.

He has won 12 caps for the Under-17 side and featured prominently at the 2023 Under-17 World Cup, where Brazil reached the quarter-finals.

Tottenham’s interest comes amid a clear need to strengthen their full-back options.

They are currently without first-choice left-back Destiny Udogie, who has been sidelined since December with a hamstring injury.

Djed Spence has filled in on the left despite being more comfortable on the right, while Ben Davies was deployed there in the recent home draw with Sunderland.

That result added to a frustrating run of form under Thomas Frank and intensified scrutiny on their squad depth.

Tottenham have won only once in their last five Premier League matches and are in the lower half of the table.

The club have greater financial flexibility following the sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace.

That deal has bolstered their resources, but early indications suggest they will not find value easily in the Brazilian market.

Santos’ stance makes it clear that any move for Souza would require a significant increase on Tottenham’s initial proposal.

The rejection highlights Tottenham’s challenge of balancing immediate needs with longer-term recruitment planning.

Frank is keen to stabilise results quickly, but the club remain cautious about overpaying for young talent.