Circati to leave Parma for Benfica in €20m deal | OneFootball

Benfica have reached an agreement with Parma to sign Alessandro Circati, with the Portuguese club paying around €20m for the Australian centre-back.

According to Sky Sport, personal terms with Circati were already in place before the two clubs settled on a fee, clearing the way for his move to Lisbon.

The 22-year-old, who also featured at this summer’s World Cup with Australia, is set to leave the club where he came through the youth ranks and made his first-team debut back in 2022.

UDINE, ITALY – APRIL 18: Arthur Atta of Udinese and Alessandro Circati of Parma in action during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Parma Calcio 1913 at Stadio Friuli on April 18, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

Circati shines from Serie B promotion to Socceroos captain

Nicknamed “Il Muro” (The Wall) by Parma supporters for his defending, Circati helped the club win promotion to Serie A in 2024 and established himself as one of their most important players last season, making 33 appearances across all competitions.

Born in Fidenza but raised in Perth from the age of one, he chose to represent Australia over Italy, going on to captain the Socceroos and become their youngest skipper since 1981.

His performances at the World Cup drew interest from several major European clubs, though it’s Benfica who have now moved fastest to get a deal over the line.