Gremio intersted in Benfica's Franco Cervi

Brazilian side Gremio have interest in Benfica midfielder Franco Cervi but have yet not contacted the club about the Argentinian midfielder. Gremio President Romildon Bolzan Junior admitted as much on program Caju Tricolor. Junior knows well Cervi's current situation at the club were he is not in Jorge Jesus plans for the upcoming season and mentioned Cervi's time with former club Rosario Central. The Gremio side is preparing a formal offer to Benfica for the 26 year old who is signed with Benfica until the summer of 2023. Cervi joined Benfica back in the summer of 2016 and has appeared in 151 games across all competitions, scoring twenty goals while setting up another twenty five. Benfica are said to be looking at around €15M to move on from Cervi and are not interested in releasing the player on loan.

Could Facundo Ferreyra get another chance at Benfica?

With Benfica unable to find a squad to take on striker Facundo Ferreyra, the Eagles have registered the 29 year old Argentinian with the league as the club moves forward with the season. Ferreyra was acquired by Benfica on a free transfer in the summer of 2018 after he had just finished a 28 goal campaign with Ukraine champions Shakhtar Donetsk but Ferreyra's time at Benfica was short lived with the player appearing in only nine games across all competitions, scoring once before departing on an eighteen month loan deal with Espanyol.

Ferreyra did not fair much better in his loan spell scoring nine times in 36 games across all competitions with six of those goals coming in Europa League qualifying against lesser opponents. The former Ukrainian golden boot winner seems to have lost confidence and form but could he be another Jorge Jesus reclamation project? Although Ferreyra's league registration could be just a formality, Ferreyra is currently striker number four on the clubs depth chart and an injury or two could see Ferreyra back on the pitch with the club.

Ferreyra will arrive from Barcelona were he was awaiting a move and work at the training center were he should be presented with a training regiment from the technical team as he prepares to rejoin the squad. The striker who earns around €2M per season declined offers to join clubs in the Middle East and China and now awaits a chance to prove to the club, the manager and himself that he is not a has been.

 

Is Jesus to blame for the Seixal exodus?

The exodus of Benfica academy players since the return of Jorge Jesus to Benfica has a lot of Benfica fans in arms as the academies best players move to find playing time elsewhere with the veteran manager not interested in providing any minutes with the main squad as he looks to more seasoned players to fill those roles. Benfica fans fear that even though the majority of loans do not include buy options at their conclusion, most of these players will never don the clubs jersey again a la Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo. 

Many fans recall Jesus' last run with the club and although successful the clubs youth system took a hit in development and reward with many of the academies big names providing a smaller financial return, when you look at Bernardo's and Cancelo's sales, which amounted to a combined €30M. Would the likes of Ruben Dias, Nelson Semedo, Renato Sanches, Victor Lindelof, Goncalo Guedes or Joao Felix have been so successful with the club if Jesus was on the sidelines? Would these six have provided the club with an infusion of €330M in sales with Jesus patrolling the club?

These are all questions that we look at with the current exodus of the academies best players via loan. Benfica have loaned defensive midfielder Florentino Luis to Monaco, winger Jota to Real Valladolid, right back Tomas Tavares to Alaves, center back Pedro Alvaro to Belenenses, attacking midfielder David Tavares to Moreirense and the clubs most talented prospect Tiago Dantas to Bayern Munich with the last loan deal unknown if a buy clause is included or not. The clubs current crown jewel, striker Goncalo Ramos is still with the club but will he be utilized or squandered by Jesus, this question is still unknown and the answer to this question could see the white towels arrive outside the stadium quicker then any would anticipate and this could be a first for a club that may just be sitting atop the league. So is Jesus to blame for the Seixal exodus? The fans will answer that shortly.