André Luiz: U-turn in talks between Benfica and Rio Ave | OneFootball

Benfica is said to have given up on signing André Luiz. According to reports, the Eagles feel that negotiations will not reach a successful conclusion and, with this in mind, the board, led by Rui Costa, has decided to drop the deal in order to focus on other, more important matters in this transfer window.

The information was revealed on January 20th by CNN Portugal, with journalist Bruno Andrade reporting Benfica’s decision regarding the possible signing of the 23-year-old winger. Without providing further details, the most obvious reason appears to be the financial intransigence of the Vilacondenses.

Apparently, contrary to what had been reported by our newspaper, the Club of Light will not proceed with the deal. It is worth recalling that Benfica has been trying to close the deal for André Luiz since the market opened, but the demands of Evangelos Marinakis, who is asking for an amount close to 20 million euros, seem to have led the Glorious to consider other names on the table.

With the collapse of the deal now seen as certain, the arrival of Rafa Silva, who is expected to be in Portugal today, January 21st, gains more momentum. Furthermore, although the Italian market has shown interest, this scenario may also lead Benfica to reconsider a possible departure of Andreas Schjelderup.

This season, wearing the Rio Ave shirt, André Luiz — valued at 4 million euros — has played 19 matches: 18 in Liga Portugal Betclic and one in the Portuguese Cup. In 1,463 minutes played, the winger, who is under contract until June 2029, has scored seven goals and provided five assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.