Rui Costa, president of Benfica, explained in detail this Tuesday in an interview with BTV all the market transactions that the Luz club has carried out this summer, guaranteeing that the sale of Gonçalo Ramos to PSG for 65 million euros (plus 15 in goals) prevented at least four exits, citing the examples of David Neres, Florentino, Morato and Musa.
“We sold Gonçalo for 65 million, plus 15 in goals. It could be 80. People need to understand that no club in Portugal can keep its accounts and pay wages without selling players. In a sale, we definitely have Neres , Morato, Florentino and Musa out,” revealed Rui Costa, adding that Benfica also received offers from António Silva and João Neves.
The leader of Benfica even left a guarantee: “By selling Gonçalo Ramos we can reach the end of the season without having to sell any more players. To face the year and the financial year.”
Rui Costa then explained all the signings in detail, focusing on Kökçü (25 million euros, the most expensive in the club’s history) and Di María. “Kökçü has been identified for a long time. When Enzo Fernández left last season, we immediately thought of him. I think no one doubts his value. An extraordinary player, with a great knowledge of the game, that’s why we came to these values,” he said.
And about Di María, he revealed several news reports: “Di María was closed a month before he was presented and last year he was very close, but Juventus’ proposal was very good. He came without exceeding Benfica’s salary cap and received none no subscription bonus. In fact, I didn’t even want to know what the salary cap was, take my word for it. I was very happy with his arrival.”
About striker Arthur Cabral, he confided that “he had been followed by Benfica for a long time” and that “coach Roger Schmidt had already tried to get him to PSV”. “We have high expectations for him. He needs time to adapt, but he will be a striker who will score a lot of goals,” he shot, adding that Jurasek “still needs time to adapt” , and that goalkeeper Trubin was “named all over Europe.”: “In the near future it will be one of the best in Europe”.
Rui Costa also spoke about the departure and explained the process of selling goalkeeper Vlachodimos to Nottingham Forest, from the English Premier League: “Last year, at the close of the market, he got an advantageous offer from Ajax, but we didn’t even want to to hear it. Back then the situation was different, even when Trubin came in. An offer came from Nottingham that pleased all parties. I left with the best relationship with the club, we will always be grateful for the five years “But that’s the life of a player. There are cycles and Vlachodimos’s is over. We came to the conclusion that his cycle had ended at Benfica. Playing in the Premier League was one of his goals.”
Portuguese football stories
The president of the club da Luz was also dissatisfied with what is happening in Portuguese football, in particular with the events and controversy in the recent match between FC Porto and Arouca, which saw 25 minutes of stoppage time and much controversy. malfunction in the VAR system, which will put the eagles on alert.
“If I’m happy with what I’ve seen in the four rounds, I’ll say I’m not. I’m not going to step on what everyone else saw, we’ll always be on the alert. Gains on the field are the strongest, let’s count the minutes games we play. What happened at Dragão is not the best way to sell the national championship,” he said.
And he also left a word to coach Roger Schmidt, recalling the success of the German who is completing his second season with Luz after being crowned champion last season: “We have to trust what he thinks he can do this season. team and what he has already done. That gives him all the credit. He is our coach. He has already shown that he knows what he is doing.”
Source: DN
