Benfica star snubbed Barça, Arsenal, City, Liverpool and Bayern to stay | OneFootball

Daniel Banjaqui, who turned 18 this Tuesday, March 24, rejected offers from nine European football giants in order to stay at Benfica. The young player signed a deal until 2031, with a release clause set at €80 million, ensuring long-term stability and increased value.

Interest from major clubs was significant, including Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Crystal Palace in England; Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid in Spain; Bayern Munich in Germany; and Napoli in Italy. PSG only gathered information about the player.

Even so, Daniel Banjaqui believes Benfica offers the best environment to continue developing and learning under the guidance of José Mourinho, a coach he admires. Although the agreement between the player and the club has been reached, the official signing is only expected to take place after Banjaqui returns from the under-21 national team, where he will play Euro 2027 qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Scotland.

In addition to an improved salary, the young full-back will also have the opportunity to join the first-team squad as early as the 2026/27 season. The decision reinforces Benfica’s commitment to developing national talent and ensures the player will have room to grow.

This season, playing for Benfica, Daniel Banjaqui — valued at €5 million — has already made 27 appearances: 14 in Liga Portugal Meu Super, seven in the UEFA Youth League, three in Liga Revelação, two in Liga Portugal Betclic, and one in the Portuguese Cup. In the 1,837 minutes he has spent on the pitch, the full-back has recorded one goal and five assists.

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