Benfica President Rui Costa wants Horta at club

Benfica President Rui Costa is said to want Braga winger Ricardo Horta as a reinforcement for next season at the club according to reports from Portugal. Benfica's interest in Horta is not new but with the club set for a major overhaul of players this summer, he is a player currently on the clubs radar. 

Horta who is 27 years old came up through Benfica's youth system along with brother Andre Horta but did not make any appearances for the main squad before departing to Setubal in the summer of 2013. Horta then made a move to Spanish side Malaga in 2014 before a season long loan sent him to Braga in 2016 a move that became permanent in the summer of 2017.

Horta has had a sensation 2021/22 campaign in which he has scored 21 goals across all competitions including 17 in league play while providing 10 assists. Horta has appeared in 277 games since joining Braga across all competitions, scoring 91 goals which is the clubs all time high while adding 48 assists. Braga President Antoine Salvador is said to want €20M to move Horta but Benfica will work to lower that price tag by adding some of the clubs youngsters to any future deal.

Schmidt asks Benfica for new keeper

Roger Schmidt, Benfica's unofficial new manager is said to have already been making requests of the club for new player acquisitions during the summer and one of those players according to reports out of Portugal is current Arminia Bielefeld keeper Stefan Ortega. The 29 year old shot stopper becomes a free agent in the summer and Schmidt is interested in Ortega becoming the clubs new number one keeper taking over the spot currently held by another German born keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Ortega has spent the past five seasons at Bielefeld, were he has appeared in 218 games across all competitions while maintaining 68 clean sheets in the process. Ortega is said to have other interested suitors in German clubs Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen but both clubs would be looking at Ortega in a back up role which may just give Benfica the upper hand in negotiations for the keeper.

Benfica reach tentative agreement with Roger Schmidt

Benfica have announced that they have reached a principal agreement with current PSV manager Roger Schmidt to take over the club next season with only minor details of the contract to be worked out. Schmidt deal is said to be for two seasons with an option for third which would commence in the summer after his contract with PSV Eindhoven expires.

The 55 year old Schmidt made a name for himself in Austria while in charge of Red Bull Salzburg for two seasons before moving on to lead Bayer Leverkusen in his native Germany for almost three seasons. Schmidt would then head over to Chinese club Beijing Guoan for two seasons before taking over with PSV in the summer of 2020.

Schmidt has captured a variety of trophies during his coaching career from the Austrian league championship during the 2013/14 season to this seasons double trophy haul, winning the Dutch Super Cup and the Dutch Cup at PSV. Schmidt is said to be bringing his number two Jorn Wolf to join his coaching staff at Benfica.