Lukebakio? Sevilla chief on Benfica sale: “We couldn’t manage…” | OneFootball

Almost a week after the close of the transfer window for European leagues, José Maria del Nido Carrasco, president of Sevilla, commented on the sale of Dodi Lukebakio - who is not yet available - to Benfica. According to the Andalusian executive, the focus was on finalizing the squad and tying up loose ends.

In a press conference, where he discussed the investment made by the Sevilla club in the market, the president commented on the circumstances surrounding the Belgian’s departure: “There were circumstances we couldn’t control and we sold Lukebakio on Monday, at 10:35 p.m. [one hour earlier in mainland Portugal].”

Asked about the failure to sign Amrabat, Carrasco recalled that the priority was always the Andalusian team: “We had to focus on finalizing the squad and on Dodi’s departure. We don’t usually talk about players who aren’t from Sevilla. Amrabat is a Betis player and I have nothing to say.”

From a general point of view, the Sevilla president considered it to have been a turbulent market, with several nuances and different approaches: “There are three parties. The club that buys, the one that sells, and the player. We received offers. In some cases, we considered the proposals insufficient. There were situations in which the players did not want to leave, others in which there was an agreement, whether it was more or less beneficial for one of the parties.”

Finally, looking at the club’s finances, in accordance with the guidelines imposed by the Spanish Federation, del Nido Carrasco states that it was a positive market for the Sevilla club: “On September 1, 2025, it was 66 million. The current cost of the squad is 85 million euros, compared to 203 million two years ago. We continue to follow the script.”

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