Find out how Marcos Leonardo could help plot a new signing for Benfica | OneFootball

Benfica is active in the winter transfer market in search of a new solution for the attack, someone capable of ‘challenging’ the usual starter, Vangelis Pavlidis – recently deserving individual recognition – and Lorenzo Lucca is, by all accounts, one of the names most favored by the board led by Rui Costa.

According to information released this Thursday by Gianluca di Marzio, Al Hilal has entered the race for the 25-year-old striker, who is currently on loan from Udinese to Napoli, with great determination. The Saudi club is considering a deal that could seriously complicate Benfica’s intentions, by putting a direct swap for Marcos Leonardo on the table, a former Luz player who was sold in September 2024 for around 40 million euros.

This potential indirect return of Marcos Leonardo to Europe pleases Napoli’s management, who do not intend to extend Lorenzo Lucca’s stay, especially considering his underwhelming performance. The striker has scored only two goals in 22 official matches, numbers that have led the Italian club to be open to his departure, as long as their investment is safeguarded.

Even so, any negotiation will depend on the activation of the mandatory purchase clause set at 26 million euros, an amount that adds to the nine million already paid for the loan. This high sum limits Benfica’s room for maneuver, especially compared to the financial power demonstrated by Al Hilal, who are willing to close the deal quickly.

In addition to the Saudi club, Besiktas is also closely monitoring the situation, although they are dependent on possible sales in order to move forward. Given this context, the Benfica board faces a race against time and heavyweight opponents, in a case that promises to make waves in the winter market and, at this stage, seems to be drifting away from Luz.

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