Benfica loan 19-year-old Joana Valente to Valadares Gaia until end of season | OneFootball

Benfica have loaned 19-year-old midfielder Joana Valente to Valadares Gaia until the end of the season, the club said in a statement.

The move takes the Portugal youth international to Liga BPI's fourth-placed side.

Valente joins a leading Liga BPI set-up and will reunite with Maria Cruz.

The midfielder has impressed through Benfica's academy and Portugal's youth teams. With Benfica she has won two Under-19 national titles, and already has 51 youth caps for Portugal.

The loan is seen as an opportunity for Valente to gain experience and minutes in a more demanding setting, with the aim of continuing her development and, in time, challenging for a place in Benfica's senior team.

She has said her main goal is to reach Benfica's senior side as soon as possible, while acknowledging it will come in its own time and that she is working towards it. Valente signed a professional contract with Benfica in June 2025, valid until 2027. She is among Marisa Gomes's selections for the Under-20 World Cup in September.

Source: Glorioso 1904

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