This is the twelfth edition of the Eusebio Cup and surprisingly Benfica has only won the contest on four occasions since it's inception in 2008. The cup has not been played consistently every preseason and this is only the third contest in the last seven years.
Benfica are hoping to be able to hoist the coveted trophy when their Sunday contest concludes and will have one remaining preseason friendly against Fulham before the season commences.
Turkish side Galatasaray has had a €12M offer made for Benfica right back Alexander Bah rejected by the club, but the defending Super Lig champions are not going to give up so easily in their pursuit of the Danish international.
Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk envisions Bah as the perfect choice for his club's right side of the back four, but Benfica prefers to retain the 26 year old unless they receive an offer that knocks their socks off to move on from Bah during the summer.
Bah arrived at Benfica in the summer of 2022 from Slavia Prague for €8M and has appeared in 74 games across all competitions, scoring three goals while providing eleven helpers. Bah battled injuries throughout the 2023-24 season and Benfica is hoping that the worse has passed in regards to them.
Cabral arrived last summer from Fiorentina in a €20M deal in the hopes of replacing Goncalo Ramos, who departed for PSG but the Brazilian never seemed to be the right puzzle piece. Benfica have spent €56M in the past year on Cabral, Pavlidis and Marcos Leonardo but will need to move on from one of the trio and Cabral looks to be the odd man out.
Spanish club Espanyol has been in touch with Benfica in hopes of acquiring Cabral on loan for the season, along with Italian clubs Genoa and Monza. Saudi League club Neom FC has also gotten in touch with the Lisbon side in hopes of striking a deal for a move by Cabral this summer.
Cabral played 1,965 minutes for Benfica last season, appearing in 43 games across all competitions, scoring 11 goals while providing 3 helpers with only 19 of those games being starts. Benfica would prefer to sell the striker over sending him out on loan as they look to recuperate the money spent last summer to acquire Cabral.
The potential loan would not cost Benfica a dollar, as PSG is open to paying all costs which would include paying all of Sanches' wages during the loan spell. PSG is currently in talks with Benfica for Joao Neves and looks to be sweetening the pot in hopes to lower Benfica's hefty price tag for the 19 year old.
Sanches was sold from Benfica in the summer of 2016 to Bayern Munich for €35M and has had a roller coaster of a career that has seen him go from highs, which include Ligue 1 team of the year, to lows that include, poor play and long stints injured, while making stops at various clubs that include Swansea, Lille and Roma.
Benfica sees Sanches' as an ideal replacement for Neves, if he is to depart the club and hopes that a return home can help revive the 26 year old's stalled career. Roger Schmidt is said to be onboard with the move for the midfielder who would add depth to the club if he can stay healthy.
The 36 year old seems to have looked at his available options and felt that Benfica is the best choice for himself and his family for at least one more season. Di Maria appeared in 48 games across all competitions, scoring 17 goals and setting up 15 assists in his return to Benfica.
Here is hoping that Roger Schmidt uses Di Maria a bit more efficiently than he did during the 2023-24 season, as the overuse of Di Maria did see the Argentinian look gassed at certain points towards the second half of the season.
No information about the contract has yet to be released, but you would have to expect that Di Maria will sign a contract with a lower annual salary than the €9M+ that he was paid by the club in 2023-24. I can not say that I like the move but I can live with it if he is used better then he was last season by the manager.
The 25 year old Greek international got off to an exciting start with the club, scoring three goals in the club's first two friendlies after Benfica paid AZ Alkmaar €18M for the striker's services just a few weeks ago and hope that this minor setback, is just that, a minor setback as the club counts on Pavlidis to be a big piece of a club looking to recapture the league title this season.
Beste is the second left back acquired by Benfica this summer after they activated the buy clause on Alvaro Fernandez at the conclusion of the season and the club is hoping that both players will bring out the best in one another as they battle for playing minutes with the Lisbon club.
The 25 year old has been used in more of wing back role over the previous few seasons with Heidenheim and has not played regularly at left back since the 2020-21 season. This is the type of player that manager Roger Schmidt loves, as he can move anywhere along the left side of the field if needed.
Beste appeared in thirty-two games, scoring eight goals while providing fourteen helpers across all competitions for Heidenheim last season, his first full season in Bundesliga action. The left footer was also one of the last cuts to make the German squad for this summer's Euro 2024.
Benfica will kick off their campaign on the road against Famalicao on the weekend of August 11th and open the season at the Luz the following weekend against Casa Pia.
Benfica will take on rivals FC Porto in Week 11 at home and Week 28, they will face city rivals Sporting in Week 16 on the road and Week 33 and end the season on the weekend of May 17 on the road at Braga.
Benfica will also travel back to the islands to face both Santa Clara and Nacional who make their returns to top flight. Benfica are in Sao Miguel, Azores for Week 22 of the season and in the Madeira on Week 8.
Full Benfica Schedule; Click to Enlarge:
.jpg "Benfica will loan Prestianni out this season")
Benfica will be looking to get winter transfer signing Gianluca Prestianni some regular playing time this season, but it will not be with the club as they look to loan the 18 year old. The club is currently assessing their options on where it would be best to place the winger, as they want to make sure Prestianni is put in the best possible position to grow.
Ajax are said to be the front runners to land Prestianni's services, but there are also a few Argentinian clubs with interest in bringing home the U17 international. Benfica acquired Prestianni from Velez Sarsfield for €9M and any loan of the player will not include a buy option.
Benfica are hoping that a Prestianni loan will have the same results as Andreas Schjeldrup, who returned to Norwegian club Nordsjaelland last season on loan. The 20 year old scored ten goals and provided eleven assists across 38 games, his performance not only had him named the spring season player of the year but also earned him his first call up to the national side.
.jpg "Benfica looking to bring Joao Felix home for cut rate price")
In a shocking turn of events, Benfica is said to be in talks with Barcelona about bringing home Seixal Academy product Joao Felix. Benfica have offered Atletico Madrid €20M to obtain 50% of Felix's pass, while Atletico are open to the move if they are to receive €25M for the same ownership.
This is just five years after Benfica sold Felix to Atletico for a whopping record fee of €127.2M after his breakout performance during the 2018-19 season. Felix, who is still only 24 years old, has had moments of brilliance in his time at Atletico but has fallen out of favour at the club and spent the past season and a half on loan at Chelsea and Barcelona.
The biggest obstacle to Felix returning to his boyhood club could be the salary he currently commands, which is in excess of €4M per season after a contract restructure with Atletico last summer, but after paying Angel di Maria over €9M last season, it may not be as big of an obstacle as some will make you believe.
With Di Maria off the books this year, a return for Felix could make a lot of sense for both parties, as Benfica looks to add to their attack while Felix looks to get what was once a promising career back on track. Felix appeared in 44 games across all competitions for Barcelona last season, scoring ten goals while providing six helpers.
Felix would likely slot into the role that recently departed Rafa Silva held at the club and is also able to play either wing if required by the club. Benfica hopes to rejuvenate Felix's career and may once again get top dollar for a player who just in 2021-22, was named Atletico's player of the year by the club's supporters.
Benfica have finally announced the acquisition of AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis today, acquiring the Greek international for €18M with an additional €2M in add-ons for incentives met. Benfica respected the wishes of AZ Alkmaar to not make the signing official until today, as the Dutch club wanted to move the signing to their new fiscal year budget.
Pavlidis will follow in the footsteps of other Greeks who at one time donned the famous Benfica jersey from: Giorgos Karagounis (2005-2007), Kostas Mitroglou (2015-2017), Andreas Samaris (2014-2021), Konstantinos Katsouranis (2006-2009) and most recently, keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos (2018-2023).
Pavlidis has been with AZ Alkmaar since the summer of 2021, when he arrived from Dutch club William II. He has also spent time in Germany in his teen years with Borussia Dortmund and VFL Bochum, but never really got a chance with the main squads. The 25 year old scored 34 goals last season across all competitions for Alkmaar, while providing five helpers. and capturing the golden boot in the Eredivisie with 29 goals.
Benfica have signed Pavlidis to a five year contract with a €100M buyout clause and Alkmaar will retain 10% of the players pass on a future sale of the striker. Benfica are hoping that Pavlidis will come in and provide the club with some scoring from the striker position, something they were sorely lacking during last season's disappointing campaign.
Benfica go into the pre-season with some holes to plug as the departure of Rafa Silva and potentially Angel di Maria takes away two of last season's regular starters, and Benfica will also need to rebuild their left back and striker positions which caused major issues last year before the start of the new season in August.
Benfica are set to announce the acquisition of striker Vangelis Pavlidis on July 1st and are currently said to be working on acquiring a left back to battle for a spot in the starting XI with recent permanent signing Alvaro Fernandez. The club may also need to fill some other areas depending on who is sold during the summer transfer window, with both Antonio Silva and Joao Neves being eyed by some of Europe's bigger clubs.
Benfica may look internally to replace Rafa and Di Maria but may need to shore up some of the other positions, depending on this years summer sales by going outside of the club's confines. While Roger Schmidt will be determined to leave last season's disappointments behind and focus on achieving greatness, proving that he is no one hit wonder.
Aursnes was used every which way last season, from right back to left back and a more defined role will not only help the 28 year old Norwegian international but Benfica in general. Aursnes played in 55 games across all competitions last season, scoring four goals while providing twelve helpers.
Gosens will turn 30 years old next month and joined Berlin last summer from Inter Milan, but the move did not pan out, as although Gosens' scored seven goals while providing four helpers across 37 games, the Berlin side had a miserable season and barely avoided relegation after competing in the Champions League for the first time.
Gosens is looking for a move to a more competitive club, something that he does not feel Berlin will have in 2024-25 and Benfica is looking to give Roger Schmidt an option at left back for the upcoming season, something they sorely lacked during this past campaign.
Benfica will look to close an agreement with Berlin shortly as they continue to strengthen their squad for 2024-25 as they prepare to recapture the league title and present a stronger squad in the Champions League.
Benfica will pay Alkmaar around €18M with add-ons that could see the deal reach €20M. The Dutch side will also either maintain a percentage of Pavlidis's pass or earn a percentage of a future sale as part of the transfer. Benfica are hoping to announce the signing of last season's Eredivise Golden Boot winner in the coming days.
UPDATE 06/25/24 - AZ Alkmaar have asked Benfica to make deal official on July 1st so that the sale will go into next year's fiscal year.
Benfica are hoping that Pavlidis will solve a glaring issue the club battled with last season and that was getting regular goals from their number nine. Look for Benfica to move on from Arthur Cabral during the summer as the club will retain Marcos Leonardo to back up Pavlidis while the status of Casper Tengstedt should be decided shortly.
Lyon left back Nicolas Tagliafico is the name being mentioned in Portugal as an apparent target for Benfica this summer, as it looks to strengthen one of their weaker positions last season.
The 31 year old Tagliafico has been with Lyon for two seasons after spending the previous four with Dutch side Ajax. Tagliafico appeared in 31 games across all competitions last season, scoring three goals while providing two helpers.
Tagliafico has one more season left on his contract with Lyon and his price tag should be in the modest €8M to €10M range. The Argentinian international will be participating in this summer's edition of the Copa America and was a member of Argentina's World Cup winning squad.
Benfica look to have landed their first signing of the summer transfer window, according to reports out of Portugal, as the club and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar are said to have come to an agreement to move Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis to Lisbon.
The terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but it is unlikely that Benfica paid anything less than €20M for the 25 year old striker's signature. Pavlidis scored 33 goals last season across all competitions, which was more than Benfica's strikers combined during the same span.
Pavlidis will be announced once he returns from a short vacation and should hopefully solve a major issue that the club faced last season, finding goals from their starting #9. Benfica and Pavlidis have already agreed on contract terms.
The arrival of Pavlidis should mean the departure of Arthur Cabral, last season's failed summer signing who was acquired at a cost of €20M to the club. Cabral never really did seem to find his groove with the club and Benfica will be looking at all options to move on from the striker.
Gedson departed Benfica in the summer of 2022 for Besiktas for €6M and has appeared in 81 games across all competitions, scoring six goals while providing thirteen helpers. Gedson has also captured a Turkish cup while with the Istanbul side.
The 25 year old will become the second highest player sale in Beskitas' history and is said to have a €4M a season salary waiting for him with the Russian side.
The grade scale goes from A to F with A being the best grade and F the worst grade a player can receive.
Lets get to our player reviews for Forwards:
David Neres - Neres was good at times, ok at others and injured, this explains the talented wingers season at Benfica. Neres missed just over two and half months between two different stints on the injured reserve and Benfica missed his heroics when he was out.
Player Grade: C+
Angel di Maria - Di Maria did all that was expected of him on his return to Lisbon but the fact the club had to rely on the 36 year old more then expected did not bode well for their season. Di Maria sparkled on many nights but was over used during the season and seemed gassed as the season grinded down. Di Maria is a free agent and it would be best to let him go.
Player Grade: B+
Rafa Silva - Rafa was right up there as the club's best player during the season. Rafa led the team in goals with 22 across all competitions and his speed continued to prove deadly against opponents. Rafa is also a free agent and his time at the Luz looks to be over after eight seasons.
Player Grade: A
Tiago Gouveia - The youngster did not look out of place when inserted into game action and produced as well as you would expect for a 22 year old. He was not awful but was not brilliant either. Gouveia deserves another chance to show what he can do next season but is likely headed out for a loan spell.
Player Grade: C
Casper Tengstedt - The hard working striker with no finish is how we will all remember Tengstedt's season. His regular starts left many scratching their heads due to his lack of finish around the net. His 4 goals in over 1,348 minutes of action is not what you would expect from a #9 and it's hard to see why the club would continue this failed experiment.
Player Grade: D+
Arthur Cabral - Benfica's big money signing from Fiorentina was a major disappointment this season, it took him some time to adjust to the club's style of play but even then could never fully earn the managers trust. His 11 goals across all competitions was pathetic and when your major accomplishment during the season is flipping off some fans, its time to end your stay this summer.
Player Grade: D+
Marcos Leonardo - He joined Benfica during the winter transfer window and seemed to score every time he came off the bench before that cooled off. His 7 goals in only 468 minutes of action was impressive but he still has a ways to go before earning regular playing minutes with the club but at least he provided some scoring from a number nine this season.
Player Grade: C+
Benjamin Rollheiser -It is hard to grade a player that saw just 152 minutes of action since joining during the winter transfer window. Rollheiser will get a full season under his belt this year to show if the class he showed in Argentina can translate to the Portuguese game.
Player Grade: C
Gianluca Prestianni - The 18 year old arrived in January and saw a whopping 3 minutes of action. Benfica dropped a €9M gamble on a player they feel will grow into a talented force with the club in the future. The future will likely not be this season though and a loan would be ideal for the youngster to get regular game action.
Player Grade: N/A
The grade scale goes from A to F with A being the best grade and F the worst grade a player can receive.
Lets get to our player reviews for Midfielders:
Florentino Luis - The hard nosed defensive midfielder provided exactly what you expected of him in the role he is assigned. Is never going to provide much offensively but the club's best defensive midfielder and it is not even close.
PLAYER GRADE - B-
Joao Neves - The kid was awesome this season, did everything he was asked and then some. His season was so grand that he is likely to finish in the top tier of the golden boy award and could even win it with a terrific Euro 2024. The key is can the club hold onto him for at least one more season. Let's hope so.
PLAYER GRADE - A+
Orkun Kokcu - He started off slowly as it took some time to adjust to a new role thrown his way but in the games that he did shine it was because he was slotted in his preferred central attacking role. More is expected of Kokcu next season and the club will need him to deliver.
PLAYER GRADE - C-
Joao Mario - He took a step back this season on the offensive side of the ball as he scored 33.3% of his goals off a hat trick in Champions League action but he could still be counted on to run and provide tight marking on opponents when required.
PLAYER GRADE - C+
Roger Schmidt - Schmidt became public enemy number one on the fans list this season, after a very disappointing performance from a club that on paper was the best in the league. The club captured just one trophy and that took place in August 2023. His lack of trust in his bench players and stubbornness to make in game adjustments proved costly this season. Look for Schmidt to be on a short leash during the 2024-25 campaign.
COACH GRADE - D+
Grading Benfica player performances during the 2023-24 season, I am only looking at players that played at some point for the club this season and are still members of Benfica's squad at this time.
The grade scale goes from A to F with A being the best grade and F the worst grade a player can receive.
Lets start our player reviews with Keepers and Defenders:
Anatoliy Trubin - The clear Benfica number one shot stopper, was brilliant for most of the season but did have that odd brain cramp, which seemed to happen a bit more during the clubs Champions League campaign, he had 17 clean sheets over 48 contests.
PLAYER GRADE: B-
Samuel Soares - The youngster only appeared in 5 contests but did keep three clean sheets. He did not get enough game action for a proper grade but did what was expected when he did appear. It would be best if he was loaned out this upcoming season.
PLAYER GRADE: C+
Alexander Bah - Benfica's right back missed a lot of game time due to injuries this season but when he is healthy he is a game changer for the club. Here is hoping that he can spend more time on the field next season but a reliable back up would not hurt.
PLAYER GRADE: C+
Fredrik Aursnes - Benfica's swiss army knife, he did all that was asked of him this season, playing wing back on both sides of the field, in the middle and on the wing. He appeared in 55 games this season totally 4,724 minutes, he is a real asset to the club but his play would flourish if he was given a more direct role.
PLAYER GRADE: A
Antonio Silva - Silva appeared in 50 contests for Benfica and was a rock for the majority of the games, his partnership with Otamendi was solid when it had to be with the odd hiccup. This may be Silva's last season at the club if the price is right as some of Europe's top clubs hover around.
PLAYER GRADE: B+
Nicolas Otamendi - The Benfica captain did not slow down even though age is slowly creeping in, look for the sale of Silva to see him move to his much preferred right center back spot this season. This should help his performance for the upcoming season.
PLAYER GRADE: B-
Morato - He played well when he was in his usual center back position but on many occasions was out of sorts starting games at left back. With the likely departure of Silva, he is ready for regular minutes next to Otamendi but please keep him away from the left back role, he adds nothing to the clubs attack there.
PLAYER GRADE: C
Tiago Araujo - He appeared in only 20 games and for a mere 737 minutes but the youngster did show some flare when giving the opportunity to show what he could add to the club. He should slot nicely into the number three spot at the club if Silva departs.
PLAYER GRADE: C+
Juan Bernat - Add Bernat to the list of PSG loanees that seem to come broken from Paris. Bernat was suppose to help Benfica in the left back role but did not reach 250 minutes of action. Benfica would be best to stay away from PSG players going forward, as little game action seems to be the common theme.
PLAYER GRADE: D+
Alvaro Fernandez - Joined the club during the winter transfer window on loan and appeared in 16 games with the club. Benfica made the loan move permanent and it will be nice to see what the 21 year old can give the squad with a full season under his belt. Had some real good attacking moments but will need to strengthen on the defensive side.
PLAYER GRADE: C
David Jurasek - The summer signing just could not get going at the club and did not seem to fit manager Roger Schmidt's system from the left side. He did not provide much on the attack as he was expected to when he arrived and the club had seen enough of him by January that they sent him out on loan to Hoffenheim after less then 500 minutes of action. Jurasek will likely not wear a Benfica jersey again.
PLAYER GRADE: F
Everton is said to be leading a pack of clubs that are interested in Florentino but have yet to get to Benfica's current asking price of €30M. Now the price would be negotiable under the right circumstances, but Benfica is in no hurry to negotiate a lower price at this time.
Florentino is another member of Benfica's famous Seixal Academy, joining the Eagles when he was a mere 11 years old. He has appeared in 131 games across all competitions with the club, scoring once while providing four helpers.
Florentino has also spent seasons on loan with Monaco and Getafe throughout his Benfica career. Florentino has captured two league championships and two Super Cups in his time at the club while also being a member of Portugal's U17 and U19 European title winners.
The four strikers that Benfica used this past season, Arthur Cabral, Marcos Leonardo, Casper Tengstedt and Petar Musa, combined for a total of 28 goals across all competitions. Goncalo Ramos scored 27 goals all by himself during the 2022-23 campaign, so you can see why the club is going to the well one more time this summer.
A familiar name has reappeared on the list of potential suitors that the club will be looking at and that is AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who the club was linked to last summer before acquiring Arthur Cabral from Fiorentina.
The 25 year old Greek striker just finished his best season as a member of Alkmaar since joining them in the summer of 2021. A season that saw Pavlidis score 33 goals across all competitions, six more than all of Benfica's options in 2023-24.
Pavlidis will not come cheap if Benfica is to go this route, costing the club at minimum €25M and the club will need to move on first from Cabral and, to a lesser extent Tengstedt if they are to make a move to acquire the lethal striker they so badly need for the upcoming season.
Look for Benfica to sniff around a host of strikers this summer, with Pavlidis' name being just the first of what might turn into a long summer for the Lisbon club if they hope to find the right piece to their attacking puzzle for next season.
Otamendi will also likely represent Argentina in the Copa America taking place before the Olympics, with the Copa taking place between June 20 to July 14 and the Olympics from July 24 and August 9. This will leave the 35 year old with little to no rest days, depending on the performance of Argentina in the two tournaments.
Since Atalanta won the Europa League earlier this week, it gained automatic entry to next season's Champions League, but by guaranteeing a top 4 spot in Serie A, the Europa League spot now becomes vacant and goes to the best ranked club in the Champions League qualifying stage, which is Benfica.
The direct entry will adjust Benfica's off season plans as they can now focus on strengthening the club, with the group stage only kicking off in September as opposed to playing two rounds of qualifying, which would have commenced in early August.
The revamped Champions League format will see all clubs that qualify for the group stage play a minimum of eight games now, two against clubs in pots 1, 2, 3 and 4. The top eight clubs out of the 36 clubs advance automatically into the round of 16. While the clubs that finish 9th to 24th play a two leg playoff for a spot in the round of 16.
Clubs that finish 25th or lower are eliminated from the competition and have no entry into the Europa League. Benfica will be seeded in pot 2 when the draw takes place on August 29th.
Di Maria has always stated that his dream would be to finish his career at Rosario, but an event in March, when the 36 year old winger received threats to himself and his family if he were to return to Argentina, put those thoughts in doubt.
Di Maria is said to have had a change of heart and is once again open to returning to Rosario but he would do so alone, with his family moving to Miami to live. Di Maria is also demanding that heavy security be provided by Rosario for himself and that he will live in Buenos Aires, a full 300 km away from Rosario.
Benfica President Rui Costa is still set to meet Di Maria next week to discuss the winger staying at the club for another season, but a social media post by his spouse stating that she and Di Maria will miss Otamendi and his spouse has set the rumour mill of departure on overdrive.
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A Leverkusen win would have seen Benfica earn an automatic spot as opposed to their current 3rd qualifying round spot but all is not lost for the Lisbon club as a Top 4 finish by Atalanta in Serie A would also see the club earn the automatic spot.
Atalanta currently sits in fifth place in Italy, trailing both third and fourth place by two points with a game in hand, but with their Europa League win, they do not have anything to really play for in their final two games, which could prove costly for Benfica in regards to their direct entry hopes.
Schmidt is said to have turned down another approach from Bayern Munich this past week as he is committed to remaining at Benfica and returning the club to glory next season. Schmidt has captured two trophies with Benfica, the Portuguese League title in 2022-23 and the Super Cup in the summer of 2023. The club and its fans hope Schmidt can find the magic that made the club so spectacular to watch in his first season.
Benfica's 2023-24 disappointing season is finally over and the off-season can begin tomorrow to improve this club for the upcoming season, which is set to commence in August. Benfica, in their final game of the season, gave up an injury time penalty that allowed Rio Ave to gain a 1-1 draw in a match that saw the club use a handful of second stringers in their final starting eleven.
Benfica does not go home empty handed during the campaign, having captured the Super Cup to kick off the Portuguese season, but that was all the way back in August and many fans, myself included, do not see that as anything but a minor consolation for what turned into a season of sour grapes.
Benfica have a lot of decisions to make over the next couple of months, with the biggest being whether manager Roger Schmidt will continue on the sidelines. The club will also need to find itself a striker and look at improving both wing back positions if they are to succeed going forward.
What is certain this off-season is that the club will see the departure of Rafa Silva, but Orkun Kokcu seems to be a viable replacement, as the Turkish attacking midfielder has looked much improved since being placed in his desired position the past couple of months.
Let the rumour mill begin as the off season is officially on
After a season when the club struggled to find a regular left back after the departure of starter Alex Grimaldo during the summer. Schmidt is hoping that the club will land his preferred choice all along in the 25 year old Brazilian left back.
With Junior's contract set to end in the summer of 2025, the Dutch club could be more inclined to move the left back for a lower value to avoid him walking for free. Junior has been at PSV since the summer of 2017 and has appeared in 124 games across all competitions.
Benfica should do what it takes to get a reliable left back after the carousal of left backs that were used this season. Benfica used a total of six different players at some point throughout the season, with many playing out of position. The club will need to make sure they hit on this move, as it will be important to succeed next season.
The speedy forward joined Benfica from Braga for €16M in the summer of 2016 and the club has gotten the most out of the soon to be 31-year-old. Rafa has appeared in 325 games across all competitions, scoring 92 goals while providing 78 helpers.
Rafa ends his Benfica career in the Top 25 of all time in both appearances and goals scored and captured six trophies during his eight seasons at the club, with three of the silverware being a league championship.
Benfica play their final home game of the season this weekend against Arouca at the Estadio da Luz and Rafa will be set to say his good bye to the club's fans as he moves onto the next chapter of his playing career as a fan favourite for his long time commitment to the club.
President Rui Costa will have some serious decisions to make this summer, with the most hotly debated being whether manager Roger Schmidt should return for a third season after a disappointing campaign that saw the club only capture the Super Cup to kick off the football season.
Schmidt still has two years remaining on his contract and his departure from the club with his staff could prove quite costly. The other decisions that Costa will need to make is which players will remain with the club next season and which will see their time end.
The club has free agents in Angel di Maria and Rafa Silva. The thought is that both would be open to remaining with the club, but Costa would be best to save those potential big salaries that both players would command and go in a different direction next season.
Benfica also has a striker issue, with only Marcos Leonardo, who arrived in January, likely to continue at the club next season. So look for the club to move on from low scoring strike options Arthur Cabral and Casper Tengstedt when the summer window opens.
Look for Benfica to also cash in on some of their more valuable youngsters, with Antonio Silva and Joao Neves' names the most mentioned moving on, but I can only see the club moving on from one of the two, with the most likely candidate being Antonio Silva.
Benfica should also make some smaller moves with the likes of Joao Mario, Florentino and Morato potentially donning new club jerseys next season. This will be an interesting summer and Benfica fans hope that the next set of departures and arrivals will bring silverware next season.
