Casa Pia - Benfica may have 'hidden' Rui Costa talks on Circati | OneFootball

The match between Casa Pia and Benfica, played in Rio Maior, may have had added significance off the pitch. Rui Costa watched the game alongside Kyle Krause, the American businessman who recently acquired the majority stake in the geese’s SAD. The curious detail is that Krause also owns Parma, the club that holds Alessandro Circati’s rights.

advanced negotiations for the Australian centre-back. The meeting between Rui Costa and Krause may therefore have been used to discuss the future of the 22-year-old defender.

Circati is one of the options identified by the Eagles to strengthen the heart of the defence, a position considered a priority by Marco Silva. Benfica are looking at alternatives to Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose deal remains complicated due to Southampton’s financial demands. According to Matteo Moretto, talks between Benfica and Parma are already at a very advanced stage.

Circati is valued at around €18 million by Transfermarkt, while Southampton are asking for approximately €30 million for Harwood-Bellis. The defender was born in Australia, also holds Italian nationality, and represents the Socceroos. At the last World Cup, he started all four matches played by the Australian national team, making a strong impression.

Thus, Kyle Krause’s presence alongside Rui Costa in Rio Maior now takes on another meaning. Benfica may have taken the opportunity to move closer to an agreement for Circati, at a time when the Parma centre-back is emerging as one of the main candidates to strengthen the Reds’ defence.

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