Benfica’s million-euro signing could join Cristiano Ronaldo’s side | OneFootball

Julian Weigl, former midfielder of Benfica, was left out of Borussia Monchengladbach's last game and, by all indications, is set to leave for Saudi Arabia. The 29-year-old midfielder has been with the German club for three seasons, but according to the sporting director, Roland Virkus, he is expected to be transferred in the coming days, having even requested to step down as the team's vice-captain.

Last week, in statements to Sky Sports Germany, the sporting director of Borussia Monchengladbach told local journalists that "no one in the squad is untransferable, not even Weigl", already suggesting that the German midfielder's days at the club are numbered and that his transfer could happen at any moment.

The main interest comes from Saudi Arabia. Al-Shabab is willing to pay between 10 to 15 million euros to secure the services of the midfielder, who, according to the same official from the current club he represents, asked to step down as vice-captain, as "he doesn't want to have more responsibilities". As a result, the coach left Weigl out of the goalless draw against Hamburg in the first round of the championship.

It is worth remembering that the player joined Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2022, on loan from Benfica, with a purchase option of around 7.17 million euros. The German club activated this clause, allowing Benfica to recover a good part of the strong 20M€ investment they had made in the player, which at the time was one of the most expensive transfers in history.

In 2024/2025, wearing the Borussia Monchengladbach jersey, Julian Weigl - currently valued at 6 million euros - played 35 matches: 33 in the Bundesliga and two in the DFB Pokal. In over 3,000 minutes of play, the former Benfica midfielder did not score any goals but contributed with two assists.

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