Why Spurs should set aside their flashy new arrivals for the time being and rely on a trusted old hand to get themselves moving again.

“He’s the reason,” Tottenham Hotspur supporters once sang about Rodrigo Bentancur. During the 2021/22 season, especially after Antonio Conte replaced Nuno Espirito Santo, the Uruguayan became hugely influential in central midfield.

He developed an excellent understanding with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and looked every bit a top-class performer in north London. There was even a case to say he was their most important player. Spurs would not have finished in the Champions League places without Bentancur in the team.

Then came disaster in February 2023. Bentancur suffered an ACL injury against Leicester City. In the period since, he has not quite looked the same player. Repeated spells out with knee, ankle and hamstring problems certainly did not help the Uruguay international.

Nor was he helped by the difficult Thomas Frank period. At one point last season, the Dane’s preferred midfield combination at the base of a 4-2-3-1 was Bentancur alongside Joao Palhinha. That pairing came in for heavy criticism, particularly in home matches, when the north London club were accused of playing things too safely.

So when Spurs spent £185m to sign Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Newcastle United and West Ham United respectively, many assumed Bentancur would become surplus to requirements. At that stage, the expectation was that Tonali and Fernandes would form the deeper midfield duo in Roberto De Zerbi’s favoured 4-2-3-1 system.

And yet, after three matches of the new Premier League campaign, Bentancur has already started twice. He came on for Lucas Bergvall at half-time in last month’s 3-0 defeat away to Brentford after the Swede had struggled in the first 45 minutes. He is fifth for total league minutes at Spurs with 225.

To be fair, results have not gone the club’s way. They have taken only one point from games against Brentford, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and they are one of three sides still without a league goal in England’s top flight this season.

Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Forest, though, represented progress. Spurs looked more dangerous in attack and might have gone in front in the first half had Omar Marmoush found the target when through one-on-one against Matz Sels.

What stood out most, however, was Bentancur’s excellent display. The former Juventus midfielder was arguably Spurs’ best player at the City Ground, producing exactly the kind of combative, hard-working performance that helped the side earn their first point of the season. They were much tougher to break down than they had been in successive defeats to Brentford and Newcastle.

In fact, Bentancur recorded nine clearances, two interceptions and one tackle in the Midlands. He also made five ball recoveries, won six duels and came out on top in four aerial duels. Although Spurs spent heavily to strengthen the squad during the off-season after their fight against relegation, it is still the £18m signing from 2022 who continues to stand out in a crucial area.

Conte identified Bentancur as a key figure when he arrived in 2021, and De Zerbi has reached a similar conclusion since taking over in April. In time, De Zerbi may well settle on Tonali and Fernandes as the partnership to drive Spurs forward. But for the immediate future, Bentancur has to be one of the first names in the side at the base of midfield.

Forget the £185m duo for now — Bentancur is the player around whom De Zerbi should be shaping his midfield. After all, there is a reason Spurs were prepared, briefly, to listen to offers for Lucas Bergvall and were willing to approve Pape Sarr’s move to Juventus. When it came to Bentancur, though, there was never any real prospect of him being allowed to leave Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And with a tough Everton side up next, De Zerbi needs to keep Bentancur in that vital role. The Toffees are strong in midfield battles and at winning second balls, which means Spurs will have a proper contest on their hands against David Moyes’ team this weekend.

The stalemate against Forest on Saturday showed Bentancur is more than ready for that challenge. It also underlined why De Zerbi is likely to lean on the experienced midfielder during his first full season in the capital. Spurs are a much more cohesive side when Bentancur starts. For all the excitement around the shiny new signings, he looks set to begin in midfield — and fully deserves to.