Benfica linked to Serbian International

According to Portuguese daily Record, Benfica have been linked to Marseille winger Nemanja Radonjic who spent part of last season on loan at German club Hertha Berlin. Marseille have set a price tag of €10M for the Serbian International as Benfica look for reinforcements with the recent departure of Pedrinho and the upcoming departure of Franco Cervi. Benfica have yet to make an official bid for Radonjic's services.

The 25 year old appeared in 27 games across all competitions for Marseille and Hertha Berlin last season, scoring three goals while also setting up three goals in 1,145 minutes of play. Radonjic joined Marseille in the summer of 2018 from Red Star Belgrade for €12M but with the pandemic crisis having hit many clubs hard financially, Benfica may still get Marseille to lower the asking price.

Tiago Dantas close to loan move to Belenenses SAD for season

Benfica youngster Tiago Dantas is on the verge of another loan move this summer but this time the 20 year old is keen to remain in Portugal as he searches for regular playing minutes which he lacked in his recent loan spell with Bayern Munich during the 2020/21 season. Dantas only appeared in two games with Bayern's main squad, totaling 69 minutes of action and was returned back to Benfica when German Champions decided not to trigger the €7.5M buy on clause at season end.

Belenenses SAD manager and former Benfica player Petit has made Dantas his main target this summer and although a deal for the central midfielder has not yet been finalized between the two clubs, there is an agreement in place that would see Dantas play the 2021/22 season at Belenenses SAD. Benfica manager Jorge Jesus has no plans to use Dantas this season and the only real stumbling block from Dantas' move to Belenenses SAD is if another Portuguese side come in with a more intriguing offer.

Benfica open camp for the 2021-22 season

Benfica officially opened camp today as the club looks to turn around their disappointing 2020-21 season, manager Jorge Jesus was the first person to arrive on campus at around 7am followed shortly after by members of his technical staff. Players were set to arrive for 8am WEST to begin their physicals and meetings. Benfica will open the season with an onset of games in August that will see the club play four league games and potentially four Champions League qualifier games if they are to make the group stage of UEFA's premier event. Benfica are awaiting reinforcements with striker Rodrigo Pinho the first to arrive and are expecting departures from players currently in camp.

Benfica bringing in Portuguese winger

Benfica continue their search for players who will strengthen the club for next season and are closing in on bringing in Portuguese winger Gil Dias from Monaco. Dias has spent the majority of his time at Monaco on loan since joining from Braga at the age of 18 and has seen stops at Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos, Fiorentina, Rio Ave, Granada and most recently Famalicao.

Benfica are said to have offered Monaco €4M to land the 24 year old and bring him back to Portugal on a permanent basis. Dias appeared in 33 games across all competitions for Famalicao last season, scoring twice while setting up three goals in 2,539 minutes of action. Dias is a client of super agent Jorge Mendes' Gestifute agency which has a close connection to the Portuguese club.

Ajax and PSV latest clubs linked with Benfica's Chiquinho

Benfica midfielder Chiquinho has been linked with a variety of clubs across Europe with Dutch sides Ajax and PSV adding their names to a long list. The 25 year old has already been linked with Italian side Torino, Turkish club, Galatasaray and Russian sides, Spartak Moscow, Dynamo Moscow and Krasnodar, with the former headed now by former Benfica manager Rui Vitoria.

Chiquinho joined Benfica in the summer of 2019 from Moreirense for €5.25M and has appeared in 65 games across all competitions, but is not in the plans of manager Jorge Jesus for the upcoming season. Chiquinho who appeared in 27 games for Benfica last season scored four goals while setting up another but only started in seven of those appearances. Chiquinho won a Super Cup as a member of the club in 2019 were he scored his first goal after coming on as a substitute.

Benfica could open 2021/22 with new left backs

Benfica left backs Alex Grimaldo and Nuno Tavares have both been linked with moves away from the Estadio da Luz this summer which could see Benfica commence the 2021/22 season with a completely new look on the left side of the field. Grimaldo has been recently linked with a move to Barcelona, while Tavares has been linked with Italian clubs Napoli and Lazio. The move of both players could bring in €40M-€50M to the club.

Benfica have been heavily linked with Wolverhampton's Ruben Vinagre over the past few months after he spent the second half of last season at Famalicao were he had an impressive campaign. Benfica have most recently been linked with Sevilla left back Guilherme Arana who also just spent a season on loan in Brazil with Atletico Mineiro. Benfica are looking to improve their squad from their terrible 2020/21 season and all options are on the table to reach this goal.

Fenerbahce interested in Antwerp right back

Turkish side Fenerbahce have been linked with a move for Royal Antwerp right back Aurelio Buta who's sale would profit Benfica as the cluv still owns 50% of the players rights after allowing the 24 year old to depart the club for Belgium in the summer of 2018. Antwerp are said to be looking for a minimum of €3.5M to allow the move of their starting right back.

Buta appeared in 34 games for Antwerp across all competitions last season, failing to score a goal but he did set up five goals. In his career with Antwerp, Buta has appeared in 107 games across all competitions with the Belgian side, scoring twice while setting up another 18 goals. Buta spent his youth career at Benfica's famous Seixal academy but never made an appearance with the main club before his departure. 

Benfica looking at return of former player

Benfica continue their off season search to find players that fit the mold of manager Jorge Jesus and their latest inquiry has led them to a former academy player in Santa Clara's central defender Fabio Cardoso. The 27 year old played his youth football at Benfica's famous Seixal academy before departing in January 2016 for a loan spell at Pacos Ferreira. Cardoso would then make a permanent move to Setubal during the summer of 2016 before departing Portugal to spend a season with Scotland's Rangers prior to joining his current club in the summer of 2018.

Cardoso appeared in 32 games across all competitions last season, scoring three goals while setting up another, he has been a constant presence in his three seasons with the Azorian club appearing in 97 games across all competitions. Santa Clara are said to be open to move their captain for around €3M-€4M, a price tag that can be easily negotiated with Benfica. Jorge Jesus is looking to play with three center backs in his starting eleven on a regular basis next season and is interested in adding Cardoso to add to his depth options at the back line.

Benfica captain says good bye to club

Benfica captain Jardel has recently stated to Brazilian journalist Cristian Delo Santos @cdelosantos on his blog that his time at Benfica has come to an end after eleven seasons once his contract expires at the end of this month. Jardel hopes to continue his career in Europe but is uncertain at this time where that might be and with who. The 35 year old joined Benfica from Desportivo Brasil in the winter of 2011 for €4.48M after spending time on loan with Portuguese clubs Estoril and Olhanense.

Jardel appeared in 285 games for Benfica across all competitions, scoring 16 goals and adding 17 assists in a Benfica career that saw the veteran center back spend a good amount of time on the injury list the past three seasons. Jardel won five Portuguese League Championships during his Benfica tenure and also added five League Cups, three Super Cups and two Portuguese Cups for a total of 15 titles. Jardel was named the clubs captain in September 2018 after the retirement of country man Luisao. 

Jardel Benfica Highlights:

- Joined club from Deportivo Brasil on January 2011
- Appeared in first game on February 11, 2011 against Guimaraes
- Scored first goal on April 28, 2011 against Braga in Europa League
- Won first Portuguese League title during the 2013/14 season
- Scored first league goal on January 4, 2015 against Penafiel
- Named club captain in September 2018
- Won first League title as captain during the 2018/19 season 

Thank you Jardel for your time at the club and wishing you the best wherever your career takes you next.

Simao Sabrosa joins Benfica ranks

Former Benfica winger Simao Sabrosa has been announced as the clubs new director of international relations a position that he took with the club at the start of this month. The 41 year old will be tasked with expanding the Benfica brand across the globe a position previously held by another former player in Nuno Gomes. Simao will represent Benfica at draws for European competitions as well as travel to the clubs schools across the globe. Simao spent six seasons with Benfica were he won three trophies, including a league championship, he was named the Portuguese League player of the year for the 2006/07 season.

Benfica continue to analyze market for reinforcements

As the off season continues Benfica are looking around for reinforcements to the squad as they look to improve from last seasons debacle. The latest player linked to the club is Colombian winger Duvan Vergara who applies his trade in his homeland with CD America de Cali. Benfica is currently preparing for the departure of various players during the summer transfer window and are counting on their acquisitions to produce more for the club for this upcoming season so need to get it right.

Vergara has appeared in 64 games across all competitions since his loan spell from the summer of 2019 and scored 16 goals, while setting up an additional ten. Vergara's loan from CA Rosario was made permanent at the start of the 2020 year and CD America de Cali are said to be asking for €8M to let go of the 24 year old. Portuguese rivals Sporting have also been linked with the services of Vergara and have made him a target for the summer months as both Lisbon clubs try to seal a move for the player.

Benfica's midfield search takes them to Italy once more

Benfica continue their search to upgrade their midfield and have been linked once more with Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas according to website Tuttomercatoweb. Benfica were previously linked with the 21 year old Macedonian international who has been at Napoli since the summer of 2019 after making move from Fenerbahce for €16.1M. Any move for the attacking midfielder will not come cheap but Napoli and Benfica have had talks in the past about Benfica left back Alex Grimaldo who may be on the move this summer and Benfica may ask that Elmas be included in the package for the Spaniard. Elmas has appeared in 80 games across all competitions for Napoli, scoring four goals while setting up two.

Benfica linked to Bordeaux midfielder Basic

Benfica continue their search to improve their midfield and the club is now linked with Bordeaux midfielder Toma Basic. According to reports in Portugal, Bordeaux are in a financial crisis and open to the sale of the clubs players at discounted prices to balance their books. The 24 year old Croatian has spent the past three seasons with the French side after joining in the summer of 2018 from Hajduk Split and has appeared in 79 games across all competitions, scoring nine goals while setting up another four goals. Benfica are hoping to land the player for under €10M.

Benfica linked to Hoffenheim attacking midfielder

Hoffenheim midfielder Mijat Gacinovic is being singled out as a possible reinforcement for Benfica next season with the club said to have already made an offer to land the attacking midfielder but are slightly short of the German clubs €6M price tag according to TUTTOmercatoWEB. The two clubs continue in discussions as they look to reach an agreement for the Serbian International.

The 26 year old joined Hoffenheim in the summer of 2020 for €3M after spending five seasons at Eintracht Frankfurt and appeared in 32 games across all competitions, scoring once while setting up another three goals. Benfica who are looking to overhaul their midfield this summer have also been linked with Al Musrati (Braga), Manuel Ugarte (Famalicao), William Carvalho (Real Betis) and Gerson (Flamengo) while Florentino Luis and Gedson Fernandes could also be options as they return from loan spells.