Benfica settle on new faces for Marco Silva's pre-season, all the details | OneFootball

One week before the start of pre-season, Marco Silva and Benfica’s hierarchy have practically finalized all the details of the preparations for the new campaign. Among the decisions already made is the integration of six young academy talents into the first-team training sessions, giving them a chance to impress the new coach.

According to Record, João Fonseca, Rui Silva, Miguel Figueiredo, Gonçalo Moreira, Jaden Umeh and Peter Edokpolor are the players chosen to take part in pre-season work, where they will be monitored by Benfica’s coaching staff. Some of these names were already close to the first-team setup last season.

That is the case with Gonçalo Moreira, a midfielder who received public praise from José Mourinho, who even admitted having a “soft spot” for the player. Others arrive for pre-season riding the momentum of a positive end to the campaign, such as Jaden Umeh, who recently made his debut for the Republic of Ireland senior team in friendly matches against Qatar and Canada. Meet the youngsters.

At 19 years old, the centre-back has already trained with the first team and was even included in José Mourinho’s matchday squads, although he has yet to make an official debut. Last season he made 20 appearances for the B team.

Also 19 years old, . Standing at 1.89 metres tall, he stands out above all for his aerial ability and physical presence.

At 17 years old, the midfielder underwent rapid development over the course of the season. He started out with the under-19s, earned his place in the B team and was even called up to the first team. He already has the Under-17 World Cup title on his résumé. Watch Miguel Figueiredo’s goal:

The 20-year-old midfielder is one of the highest-rated names among Benfica’s young players. After registering seven goals and six assists for the B team, he made his debut for the first team and continues to be seen as one of the club’s main prospects.

The 18-year-old winger is living one of the most remarkable moments of his career after recently representing the Republic of Ireland senior team. Last season he played 14 matches for the under-19s and also made one appearance for the B team. Speed and technical quality are among the traits that set him apart the most.

At 19 years old and 1.92 metres tall, the Nigerian forward is regarded as one of the emerging prospects in his country’s football. Last season he scored four goals in 22 matches for the B team and will now have the opportunity to show his potential alongside the first team.

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