Benfica looking at Valenciennes center back

Benfica are interested in Valenciennes 17 year old center back Ismael Doukoure who is seen as one of the more promising players in French football. The list of potential suitors is at an all time high and some of the potential clubs that will battle Benfica for the youngsters signature are the likes of Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Lyon who are all keeping tabs on Doukoure. Valenciennes is said to be looking for around €6M to €8M to let Doukoure go as the center back has a valid contract with the Ligue 2 side until the summer of 2023. Doukoure has appeared in 18 games across all competitions for Valenciennes this season.

Benfica slim title hopes are over with loss to Gil Vicente

With their 2-1 loss today at home to Gil Vicente, we can say that the clubs slim chances to capturing the league title are all but done and this rests heavily on the shoulders of the clubs current manager Jorge Jesus. What many Benfica fans saw as the clubs saviour, (I did not) has led the club to one of their more disappointing seasons in some time, this after spending a record €115.50M in player acquisitions over the summer transfer window.

Benfica's season should be considered a disaster after spending those sums of money to bring in the managers preferred players only to see a run of poor results. Those results have Benfica in third spot in Portugal with their Champions League aspirations hanging in the balance. Benfica trails second placed FC Porto by three points and a guaranteed place in the group stage but are also three points ahead of fourth place Braga and could fall out of the Champions League altogether.

Dantas catches attention of German clubs

Tiago Dantas got his first official start for Bayern Munich last weekend, a move that caught many by surprise with the 20 year old youngster having appeared in a total of just three minutes the whole season with the Bundesliga club. Dantas who was loaned to Bayern Munich until seasons end in October by Benfica has played a total of 69 minutes this season with Bayern and has spent most of his time with the second team.

Bayern has a buy option of just €7.5M if they decide to keep Dantas and have until the end of May to activate this clause, Benfica would be entitled to an additional 25% percent of any future sale by Bayern as part of the deal. The starting assignment for Dantas created a buzz in Germany and reports state the one current Bundesliga club and several second division sides are ready to move for Dantas if Bayern choose to not make the loan permanent.