Fenerbahçe join race for Benfica mainstay this summer | OneFootball

Vangelis Pavlidis has once again been linked with a possible departure from Benfica. This time, the Greek international is said to be on Fenerbahçe’s radar, with the Turkish press claiming that the Istanbul club wants to strengthen its attack as early as this week.

The possibility gained momentum after Aziz Yildirim, president of Fenerbahçe, promised transfer market news: "We will complete the signing of a striker this week!" the executive said, as quoted by Turkish media.

According to the same press, Pavlidis is the Turkish club’s main target, especially after his high-level performance against St. Gallen. The striker stood out in the second leg of the Europa League second qualifying round, scoring the first four goals in Benfica’s rout of the Swiss side.

Despite the rumours, Benfica’s position remains clear. The SAD led by Rui Costa is not willing to negotiate the Greek international for less than €50 million and, so far, has not received any formal offer for the Benfica forward. In addition, Benfica’s officials believe Pavlidis will continue to increase in value throughout the season and, for that reason, do not rule out the possibility of demanding an even higher fee should interested clubs emerge.

At the same time, the club’s priority remains the departure of Franjo Ivanovic. The Croatian forward is close to leaving the Luz this summer, unlike Pavlidis, who continues to be regarded as a key player by Marco Silva. Even with the need to balance the books and manage the investment made in the transfer market, Rui Costa does not intend to weaken the squad, viewing the Greek international as one of Benfica’s most important players for the 2026/27 season.

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