Enzo Fernández could soon not only become one of the biggest transfers in Portuguese football, but also become the player who generated the most profit (difference between purchase and sale value) for a national club. The 21-year-old midfielder, who won the World Cup for Argentina and was named the best young player of the tournament, has seen his ratings skyrocket thanks to his stellar performances in Qatar and is coveted by some of Europe’s biggest giants, such as Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea in the lead. But those interested already know: if they want to take him on the January transfer window, they will have to pay the release clause of 120 million euros.
Benfica signed Enzo from River Plate last summer. The Reds SAD acquired 75% of the player’s economic rights for 10 million euros, and the deal included a further eight million in variables depending on how many games the midfielder played at Clube da Luz. That is, if a club exceeds the 120 million clause, a perfectly possible scenario, Benfica’s profit from the transfer would be 78 million euros – excluding the 10 million from the purchase, the 30 million which refers to the 25% of the pass that belongs to River and two million more to the Argentine club due to the fact that the midfielder has already played more than 10 matches for the Eagles (if he reaches 25, it will be another two million).
If the transfer takes place in this way, Enzo becomes the player who has given the most profit to a Portuguese club (difference between buying and selling, see table) – these accounts do not include players trained in clubs that were later negotiated, as is the case of João Félix, the biggest transfer of Benfica and Portuguese football to date, who moved to Atlético Madrid in exchange for around 126 million euros. Agency costs (amounts to which entrepreneurs are entitled) and payments of solidarity mechanisms (to training clubs) are also not included, as these are amounts that are difficult to justify.
Bruno Fernandes leads
The most profitable transfer to date for a Portuguese club was that of Bruno Fernandes, from Sporting to Manchester United, according to data from the transfer market website. In the summer of 2017, Sporting paid a total of 8.5 million euros (plus 500 thousand euros in variables) to Sampdoria, which was also entitled to 10% of a capital gain on a future sale. In January 2020, the midfielder was sold to the Red Devils in a deal worth €55 million (plus €25 million in variables). According to transfer market, the Lions have so far benefited 53.30 million as an amount has been paid to Sampdoria in relation to capital gains.
The second most lucrative deal in Portuguese football to date took place last season and involved Benfica. Uruguayan striker Darwin Nuñez, who was acquired from Almeria, of Spain, for 24 million euros, left for Liverpool in exchange for 75 million fixed and another 25 depending on variables (in the meantime, the club from Luz has already collected five million). However, this deal only gave Benfica capital gains of the order of €46 million, as Almeria received part of the transfer, as agreed in the contract for retaining a percentage in a future sale.
FC Porto’s SAD, and President Pinto da Costa in particular, are also known for doing good business. Of the various operations carried out to date, the transfer of central defender Éder Militão to Real Madrid has been the one that brought the most profit to Porto’s treasury. The dragons paid São Paulo seven million in August 2018 to acquire the defender’s pass. And the following year they transferred him to Real Madrid for 50 million euros, which is a profit of 43 million euros.
Another big blue and white SAD deal was struck last season, in the January transfer window, involving Liverpool. The Colombian winger Luis Díaz had cost FC Porto 7.22 million euros and was eventually sold for 45 million.
Source: DN
