One year on, Benfica still waiting for money for Arthur Cabral | OneFootball

One year after Arthur Cabral’s move to Botafogo, developments related to the Brazilian striker’s transfer continue to emerge. The player left Benfica on June 9, 2025, in a deal worth a fixed €12 million, with a further €3 million potentially payable upon the achievement of certain objectives.

However, according to information now revealed as part of the Rio club’s Judicial Recovery proceedings, Botafogo has reportedly paid only around €1 million of the amount agreed with Benfica. According to judge Marcelo Mondego de Carvalho Lima, of the 2nd Business Court of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian club still owes Benfica €11.1 million.

The situation comes at a particularly delicate time for Botafogo’s SAD, which is facing significant financial difficulties following the management led by American businessman John Textor. According to the figures released in the proceedings, the club’s liabilities currently stand at €214 million. Despite the delay in payments, Benfica remains protected in the event of a future transfer of the striker, retaining the right to 10 percent of the capital gain from any future sale of Arthur Cabral.

Meanwhile, Botafogo’s problems are not limited to its financial situation. The Brazilian club was recently hit with its sixth transfer ban imposed by FIFA, this time due to a debt related to the signing of Lucas Villalba from Nacional de Montevideo, completed in January this year.

In addition to this case, the Rio-based club had already accumulated five other similar sanctions. Four of them are related to outstanding debts with Atlanta United, Ludogorets, New York City and Zenit, concerning the transfers of Thiago Almada, Rwan Cruz, Santiago Rodríguez and Artur. The fifth punishment stems from failure to pay administrative fines.

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