Benfica plan new contract for Gianluca Prestianni amid Aston Villa and Tottenham interest

Benfica are preparing to offer Gianluca Prestianni a new contract in an attempt to keep the Argentina forward out of the hands of Aston Villa and Tottenham.

The Portuguese club’s plans could make it significantly harder for the two Premier League sides to sign the 20-year-old, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

Prestianni is currently reported to have a release clause worth about £86m in his Benfica contract. However, the club are now working on an extension that would keep him at Estadio da Luz until the end of the 2030-31 season.

Benfica also want to use a substantial increase in Prestianni’s wages to persuade him to agree to the new deal and remain in Portugal.

The forward has made an impressive start to the 2026-27 campaign. He has scored five goals and provided three assists in seven Portuguese league matches in which he has started.

Despite that form, neither Aston Villa nor Tottenham appears prepared to pay the value of Prestianni’s release clause at this stage of his career.

Aston Villa would already need to break their transfer record to complete a deal for the player. The English club could therefore end their interest quickly if Benfica continue to insist on their financial demands.

Tottenham have spent heavily on strengthening their attacking and creative options during the summer transfer window, but they still have a shortage of an established centre-forward.

Both clubs have endured disappointing starts to the new Premier League season, and their managers, Unai Emery and Roberto De Zerbi, are already understood to be considering their plans for the next winter transfer window.

Reports have indicated that Aston Villa and Tottenham have included Prestianni on their lists of potential targets as they assess possible reinforcements for the months ahead.

Benfica’s proposed extension would allow the club to protect the player’s position at Estadio da Luz while also making any future transfer more expensive. The Portuguese side’s intention to extend his stay through 2030-31 represents a fresh obstacle for both Premier League clubs, who may now have to decide whether to pursue a deal at a substantial cost or move on to alternative targets.