Official! Benfica secure signing of Alverca centre-back | OneFootball

Benfica have secured the signing of a new player to strengthen the defensive sector of their academy, in a loan deal agreed with Alverca - just like Felipe Lima -  which will run until the end of the 2026/27 season. It is a strategic move for the defensive department of the Eagles club.

The young footballer in question is Martim Pereira, a centre-back born on 18 March 2008. The player began his sporting journey with UD Alta de Lisboa, before moving through the youth ranks of Sporting and GS Loures. Over the last four seasons, the defender was under contract with Alverca, the club where he continued his development. In the previous 2025/26 season, the young centre-back made 16 official appearances for the Ribatejo club, five of which came for the B team.

After completing the move to the Eagles, the new signing did not hide his delight at joining the club he supports, describing the moment as a "dream come true" and expressing a "feeling of great pride". "My years at Alverca gave me a sense of professionalism that I didn’t have before. When we kids move up a level, we become more aware of what work is, of what it means to be a player. And I think Benfica will only improve that aspect", he said in an interview with BTV.

Aware of the demands of this new stage in his sporting career, Martim Pereira reaffirmed his commitment to his new shirt and praised the scale of Benfica’s facilities. "I promise a lot of hard work. The club is fantastic and I think I will improve in every technical and tactical aspect. Everything a player wants is to be at Benfica, because there is always improvement," he stressed.

As for his characteristics on the pitch, the player publicly described himself as someone "very aggressive, who goes into every duel and is not afraid to stick a foot in", thus defining his combative style of play. Focused on collective success within the Eagles’ setup, he concluded his first words at the Luz with a message of ambition. "I’m one more player to help this great team and this great club, which is Benfica," he finished.

Check out the Club’s announcement:

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