Benfica's winter hunt could take them to Genoa

Benfica are turning their attention to Genoa's promising 19-year-old Italian born striker, Jeff Ekhator. With Benfica seeking to bolster their attacking options, Ekhator has emerged as one of their key targets to provide much needed depth behind starter Vangelis Pavlidis.

This interest comes after Benfica missed out on a loan deal for Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca, who is now set to join Nottingham Forest, redirecting the Portuguese club's focus in a different direction.

Genoa is said to want close to €20 million from Benfica if they are to land Ekhator, which would represent a significant investment for a depth player but falls in line with the club's acquisition of younger players with potential for increased value.

However, they're not alone in the race for Ekhator with Crystal Palace also eyeing him as a backup if their pursuit of Angers' Sidiki Cherif falls through, while Bologna and Atalanta have also shown interest.

Ehkator has come up through Genoa's youth system and has played in 576 minutes this season across all competitions, scoring three goals, yet at such a price tag would he be worth the gamble.