Hansi Flick wants reinforcements at Barcelona, Benfica stalwart eyed | OneFootball

Vangelis Pavlidis has once again been linked with a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. This time, it is Barcelona who are keeping a close eye on the Benfica striker’s situation, as he features on the list of possible attacking reinforcements for Hansi Flick’s side.

According to the Què T'hi Jugues programme on Spanish radio station Cadena SER, the Greece international is one of the alternatives being considered by the Catalan club’s decision-makers after other attacking targets became more complicated. Barcelona’s main objective was to sign Julián Álvarez, but Atlético Madrid are unwilling to negotiate for the Argentina international. Eli Junior Kroupi, the Bournemouth forward, has also been linked with the blaugrana, although that scenario also appears unlikely for now.

It is in this context that the name of Pavlidis is gaining momentum. Even so, the departure of the No. 14 is not part of Benfica’s plans, as the club continues to regard the Greek international as a key player for Marco Silva. Despite the arrival of Jhon Durán, the intention within Benfica’s hierarchy is to find a solution for Franjo Ivanovic, while keeping the Greek striker as the team’s main attacking reference.

Signed from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2024, the forward quickly established himself as an undisputed starter at the Estádio da Luz. Over the last two seasons, Pavlidis has recorded 60 goals and 18 assists, numbers that justify the growing interest from several European clubs.

In June, Benfica’s general director for football, Mário Branco, had already ruled out the possibility of the goalscorer leaving, when he was being linked with Besiktas: "Pavlidis wants to stay at Benfica and he will stay at Benfica next season. Of course, the transfer market is open and we cannot control what happens, but on June 25, when we start pre-season at Benfica, Pavlidis will be there," he said in comments to journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu.

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