Tottenham and Aston Villa may soon have a clearer run at Anatoliy Trubin.
Previous Portuguese reports have linked both Premier League clubs with the Benfica goalkeeper. Record now believe England is becoming the most likely destination if he leaves Lisbon this summer.
The newspaper explains Juventus recently made contact to understand the conditions of a possible deal, but the Serie A side are not expected to follow that up if Benfica stick to their €40m (£34m) asking price.
That effectively shifts the spotlight back towards the Premier League.
England now seen as most likely destination
Record say Benfica are convinced England is where they are most likely to find a club willing to get close to their valuation.
There is still nothing concrete on the table. However, the expectation is that English clubs will start making approaches in the coming days.
That should naturally put Tottenham and Aston Villa back in the conversation after both were linked with Trubin in previous reports.
The move would also appeal to the goalkeeper himself. Trubin has already admitted publicly that playing in the Premier League is a career ambition. So the direction of travel suits both player and club.
Benfica standing firm
Juventus’ interest has done little to change Benfica’s position. According to Record, the Portuguese club have made it clear Trubin’s price is €40m (£34m), at least for now. That figure is considered too high by the Italian giants.
Another reason Benfica are reluctant to negotiate much lower is the agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk.
As we covered earlier, the Ukrainian club are entitled to 40% of the capital gain from any future sale, meaning a sizeable part of the profit would head back to Trubin’s former club.
For now, Benfica are still waiting for the first formal bid. Their expectation, though, is that it will come from England rather than Italy.
If that proves to be the case, Tottenham and Aston Villa are the two Premier League clubs already sitting in the frame.
