Benfica need to find attacking midfielder this summer

Benfica have lacked a midfielder with line breaking passes this season and need to find this addition this summer during the transfer window if they are to add another form of threat into their attack.

The club was hoping this player would have been summer addition Georgiy Sudakov but the 23 year old Ukrainian international has been used in various positions due to injuries and has not provided what was expected when the club acquired him from Shakhtar Donetsk.

A player that could add what the club needs is soon to be 25 year old Croatian international Toni Fruk, he currently applies his trade with HNK Rijeka and has been a key member of the squad's run to the UEFA Conference League round of 16, scoring four goals in the competition.

Benfica may have to pay more than double what Rijeka paid Fiorentina this past summer to acquire Fruk which was €4 million. In over 2,827 minutes of action, Fruk has scored 13 goals across all competitions while providing three helpers.

Fruk is the classic #10, a left footed play maker, he acts as the primary creative engine from the midfield with excellent close control. Fruk is considered the modern attacking midfielder of today. Benfica's troubling season has seen them fail to move the ball effectively through the middle of the field and Fruk could be the solution to solving this piece.

Benfica out of Champions League after gutsy performance

In the electrifying second leg of the Champions League playoff, Benfica showcased sheer guts and determination against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Benfica struck first in the 14th minute when Rafa Silva tapped in the opening goal, leveling the aggregate and stunning the hosts but that lasted all but two minutes as Real responded swiftly with Aurelien Tchouameni's equalizer.
 

Benfica though refused to crumble and they continued to press relentlessly, creating chances and testing Thibaut Courtois, embodying the fighting spirit that defines the club but Vinicius Junior's 80th-minute winner sealed a 2-1 defeat and a 3-1 aggregate win as Real advanced to the last 16.

Benfica showed their potential against the Spanish powerhouse but it was not meant to be and they exit the Champions Leagues with €53.1 million in their coffers and will now turn their attention to the Portuguese League as the look to fight for the title. 

Benfica looking for some magic at the Bernabeu

As Benfica heads to the iconic Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg of their Champions League knockout playoff against Real Madrid tomorrow, the Eagles are chasing a miracle. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg at Lisbon, where Vinicius Jr.'s lone goal proved to be the winner, a Jose Mourinho-less side faces an uphill battle against the 15-time European champions. 

The first leg was marred by controversy, with Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni suspended for the game due to alleged racial abuse toward Vinicius in the first leg, while Mourinho himself is banned from sideline after a pair of quick yellow cards due to abuse of the match official.

Yet, Benfica are looking to stun their Spanish rivals again after a 4-2 league phase victory over Madrid just weeks ago, where they dismantled the Galacticos at home. Can the Portuguese giants find just a little more magic on this night and make a statement across Europe.