Benfica and winger Bruma set to agree to rescind contract

Portuguese winger Bruma is close to reaching an agreement with Benfica to mutually terminate his contract, paving the way for a return to Greek football.

The 31-year-old forward, who originally signed with the Eagles from Braga in February 2025 for a fee of €6.5 million, was contractually bound to the club until June 2028. However, his stint at the Estadio da Luz was severely hindered by a devastating Achilles tendon rupture that kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2025/2026 campaign.

Following his recovery, Bruma found himself excluded from the first-team squad under manager Marco Silva, who made it clear that the player was no longer part of his upcoming technical plans. Eager to revitalize his career, the veteran attacker has chosen to sever ties with the Lisbon club early. With Greece’s transfer window closing quickly, Super League club Aris Thessaloniki has emerged as his primary destination. 

Bruma is no stranger to the country, having previously won a domestic league title during a highly successful loan spell with Olympiacos. Bruma appeared in only 17 games across all competitions, scoring one goal in and providing two helpers in 784 minutes.

It's time Marco Silva insert Schjelderup into the starting lineup

For Benfica head coach Marco Silva, maximizing structural balance means shifting away from Georgiy Sudakov to start Andreas Schjelderup. While Sudakov brings immense ball-retention talent as a central playmaker, his tendency to drop deep often crowds the midfield and slows transitions.

The Tactical Blueprint: Schjelderup on the Left  

To optimize Silva’s high-risk, high-reward attacking system, Schjelderup needs to be given the nod. The Norwegian is a natural left winger. Deployed wide left, he stretches the pitch, isolates fullbacks, and cuts inside with deadly verticality.
 

The Wing Connection: Unlocking Prestianni

Crucially, starting Schjelderup unlocks an electrifying connection with Gianluca Prestianni. Prestianni, operating dynamically as the inverted right winger, thrives when given space to switch play and drift centrally. By pulling the opposition's defensive lines apart from the flanks, Schjelderup keeps the defensive block stretched. This allows Prestianni the freedom to overload the final third and feed the strikers. 

The Final Piece: Rafa Silva in the Pocket 

Completing this tactical fluid framework, Rafa Silva slots perfectly into his optimal position as an elite second striker or attacking central number ten. Playing in the pocket behind the primary striker, Rafa uses his blistering acceleration to exploit the massive gaps created by Schjelderup and Prestianni’s wide movements. 

For Marco Silva, starting Schjelderup isn’t just a personnel swap; it is the key to making the Eagles' attack even more potent.

Benfica's Summer 2026 Transfer Recap

Benfica completed a highly profitable squad restructuring during the summer 2026 transfer window, balancing elite incoming talent with lucrative player sales.

Strategic Arrivals 

The Portuguese giants heavily reinforced their midfield and defensive ranks. Benfica secured midfielder Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich for €14 million, while Italian defender Alessandro Circati arrived from Parma in an €18 million deal. Looking to add creative spark, Jakub Kaminski joined from Cologne for €17 million while defensive midfielder Enzo Barrenechea was purchased from Aston Villa for €12 million and Georgiy Sudakov was bought from Shakhtar Donetsk for €20.25 million.

Benfica also added depth through the transfer of center-back Gabriel Indio for €4 million. On the loan front, the Eagles negotiated a high-profile season-long loan deal for Al-Nassr striker Jhon Duran who cost the club €6.2 million, alongside veteran defender Clement Lenglet from Atletico de Madrid. In the past twenty-four hours the club also added attacking midfielder Claudio Echeverri from Manchester City and left back Souffian El Karouani arrived from Al-Qadisiyah on season-long loans with options to buy.

Major Departures

Benfica's outgoing business generated massive revenue this summer. Newcastle United signed defender Amar Dedic for a staggering €35.9 million and Premier League side Bournemouth secured center-back Antonio Silva for €25 million. Sidney Cabral moved to Trabzonspor for €7 million.

Furthermore, midfielder Orkun Kokcu had his loan move to Besiktas made permanent for a €30 million fee, as did Florentino who brought in €25 million from his permanent move to Burnley. Gustavo Marques added an additional €3.5 million from RB Bragantino. 

The club also streamlined the squad, sending out left back Rafa Obrador (Sassuolo), winger, Tiago Gouveia (Genclerbirligi) and striker Franjo Ivanovic (Lens €2.5M) out on season-long development loans. Joining them in a loan move the past twenty four hours was midfielder Richard Rios (Al-Ittihad €4M).

Eagle Eyed Business

As the transfer window gets set to close, Benfica go into the season with a surplus in moves of €37.05 million which will come in handy with the club missing out on this seasons lucrative Champions League purse. The club will still compete in Europe but in the much less profitable Europa League campaign.