![Joao Filipe Jota of SL Benfica in action during the Liga NOS match between SL Benfica and GD Chaves at Estadio da Luz](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/football/2019/03/17/TELEMMGLPICT000189732477_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqn8AUse1HvClDum4H7LMcUng_n7otY0zg7Hs56qi169M.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Arsenal and Tottenham keeping tabs on Benfica's teenage forward Jota
![Joao Filipe Jota of SL Benfica in action during the Liga NOS match between SL Benfica and GD Chaves at Estadio da Luz](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/football/2019/03/17/TELEMMGLPICT000189732477_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqn8AUse1HvClDum4H7LMcUng_n7otY0zg7Hs56qi169M.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are monitoring the highly-rated Benfica striker Jota. The 19-year-old forward will cost €30 million (£25.6million) if he is sold this summer, with Liverpool also believed to be interested should he eventually leave Portugal.
Jota – as he is known, although his name is Joao Filipe - made his breakthrough into Benfica’s first-team this season, having come through the youth ranks and played for the B-team. Spurs sent a scout to watch Jota during Benfica’s 3-0 Europa League win against Dinamo Zagreb last Thursday.
Jota finished as joint top-scorer with five goals when Portugal won the Under-19s European Championships last summer and was also named in the team of the tournament which brought him to the attention of a number of clubs in England, Spain and Germany.
The teenager can play as a left-winger or a central striker.
Jota has since played for the Portugal Under-21 side and is expected to be part of his country’s squad for this year’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland before which he may be sold.
Jota’s contract runs until 2022 and there have been discussions about substantially increasing the buy-out clause in his contract with negotiations over a new deal. The current buy-out clause is €30m and it is understood that Benfica have already rejected bids below that amount.
Benfica president Luis Felipe Vieira has already said that he will not allow players who have come through the club’s academy such as Jota and also another forward, Joao Felix, to leave unless their buy-out clauses are met.