Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly open to the idea of keeping Benfica's Carlos Vinicius on a permanent basis but are not willing to trigger his £36m release clause.
The 25-year-old has largely struggled to make an impact in the Premier League over the prolific Harry Kane, but he has starred in the Europa League with six goals and three assists in eight continental matches.
Spurs do have the option to purchase the Benfica loanee permanently this summer, but his buyout clause of £36m is believed to be more than what Jose Mourinho's side are now willing to offer.
According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham would like to keep Vinicius on the books in North London, but they have told Benfica that a fee of £17m is the best that they can do this summer.
The report adds that the player's agent Flavio Ribeiro is heavily involved in negotiations, and more talks between the two parties are scheduled for April with Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira.
Vinicius himself is understood to be enjoying life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and believes that he could become a more important player for Mourinho in the 2021-22 campaign, even though he is yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League.
Ben Knapton
