Backfired: Left-footer who left Benfica for Spain yet to feature | OneFootball

Mauro Furtado left Benfica for Girona in the latest transfer window, but the move to Spain has not yet allowed the young centre-back to rack up the minutes he would certainly have hoped for. At 18, the defender is still waiting to make his official debut for the Catalan club, despite having been called up on several occasions.

The Portugal international was one of the standout players in the team that won the Under-17 World Cup, a competition in which he was named man of the match in the final and finished as the tournament’s third-best player. Despite the expectations surrounding his potential, Furtado never made his debut for Benfica’s first team, and was not even part of the B team at the start of this season.

The move to Girona came after the centre-back failed to reach an agreement with the Eagles over a contract renewal, with his deal set to run until 2027. The deal allowed Benfica to secure one million euros for 50% of the player’s economic rights, while the Spanish side also obtained an option to buy a further 30% of his registration rights for 600 thousand euros. Furtado signed a contract until 2031.

However, adapting to the new club has proved more difficult. Mauro Furtado has yet to earn a place in Quique Álvarez’s plans, who has generally preferred Alejandro Francés and Holmes Júnior in central defence. Furtado was included in the squad for Girona’s last four matches, against Sporting Gijón, Castellón, Cádiz and Albacete, but remained on the bench every time without playing a single minute.

The situation stands in contrast to the reputation the centre-back had built up in Benfica’s academy and with Portugal’s youth national teams. For now, the young defender must keep working to earn his place at a Girona side currently sitting sixth in La Liga 2, with 13 points from seven matches.

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