Glorioso 1904 exclusive - Tiago Gabriel to Benfica? Rui Costa's verdict | OneFootball

Tiago Gabriel is too expensive for Benfica, Glorioso 1904 has learned. In this Exclusive, we reveal that Rui Costa will not move forward with the signing of the Lecce defender, meaning he will not be Marco Silva’s fifth signing for the 2026/2027 season.

Following the departure of António Silva, the signing of a centre-back is the top priority for Benfica’s SAD. Tiago Gabriel was one of the names shortlisted by the club’s structure, due to his quality, the fact that he is young, and his knowledge of Portuguese football, having stood out for Estrela da Amadora between 2023 and 2025.

However, according to our newspaper, the transfer fee demanded by Lecce was the obstacle that prevented the deal from going through. The “gialorossi” always valued the player’s transfer at figures above 20 million euros, a number the Eagles are not willing to invest.

Benfica want to make the new centre-back official in the coming days, and Rui Costa does not intend to spend more than 15 million euros on the new defender. Given these financial demands, the signing of the former Estrela da Amadora player, who came through Sporting’s academy, was ruled out by the Eagles.

In the last 2025/26 season, Tiago Gabriel made 39 official appearances in a Lecce shirt: 37 in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia. In the 3,400 minutes he was on the pitch, the Portuguese-French player scored two goals.

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