Tottenham have joined the queue for Monza striker Gustavo Varela, the 21-year-old who has just been named Serie A’s Rising Star of the Month for October.
Reports suggest Spurs are now among the clubs keeping tabs on Varela, alongside Arsenal, Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, who had already been linked with him. RB Leipzig and his former club Benfica are also watching.
It is easy to see why. Varela has nine goals in nine Serie A games in his first season in Italy, plus two more in his only Coppa Italia appearance.
Who is Gustavo Varela?
Varela is a 21-year-old centre-forward who moved to Monza from Benfica’s B team in the summer. Monza paid just €2.5m plus bonuses for him, which already looks like one of the bargains of the window.
October was his best month yet: five goals in four Serie A matches, plus an assist. That run won him the league’s Rising Star award, which Serie A announced on Wednesday.
Gustavo Varela is the Rising Star of the Month for October! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/JWJUasN6cP
– Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 4, 2026
His form has also caught the eye at international level. Varela was named in Portugal’s provisional squad for the Nations League at the end of October, which would be his first senior call-up if he makes the final list.
Why would Tottenham want another striker?
Goals from the number nine have been the one thing missing from Roberto De Zerbi’s recent run. Spurs have won three in a row, but Dominic Solanke still heads to Leeds needing a goal, and the striker debate around N17 has not gone away.
It does not help that one of their own academy forwards is flying elsewhere. As we covered this week, the striker Spurs sold to Middlesbrough for an initial £8m has been scoring freely since he left. Fans will not want to watch another young striker take off somewhere else without at least a look.
How Varela compares with Spurs’ other targets
Varela is not the only young attacker on the radar. Tottenham have also been linked with Leverkusen playmaker Ibrahim Maza, but that is a different profile. Varela is a pure goalscorer, the type De Zerbi’s side would use to finish the chances their passing game is creating.
Can Spurs beat Arsenal and Chelsea to Gustavo Varela?
This is where it gets hard. Arsenal, Chelsea and Dortmund were all linked before Spurs, and Benfica, who know him better than anyone, are still watching.
Monza bought him for very little, so they have no reason to sell cheaply, and with this many clubs circling, the price will only rise if he keeps scoring at this rate.
Our verdict: Varela is worth watching, but a nine-game hot streak is not yet a reason to pay a big fee. If Spurs are serious, January is too soon. The smart move is to keep scouting him through the winter and be ready in the summer, when the rest of his first Serie A season will tell them far more than one brilliant autumn.
