Sporting signing reached Alvalade after Marco Silva said no at Benfica | OneFootball

Moncef Zekri only ended up at Alvalade because Marco Silva did not want him in Benfica’s squad for this season. The young player had previously been offered to Benfica’s hierarchy by Mechelen. The Eagles chose not to respond to the proposal submitted, allowing the footballer to head to their capital rival.

The defender ultimately became the solution found by the green-and-white side to fill the vacancy on the left side of the defense. The young full-back, just 17 years old, arrived from Mechelen to take the place left vacant by Ricardo Mangas.

Sporting’s new player only ended up at Alvalade because Marco Silva was not interested. The board led by Rui Costa assessed the player’s profile but decided not to move forward with his signing. Benfica’s officials preferred to focus on more mature options for the demands of the first team, where his compatriot El Karouani ultimately arrived.

On the rival side of the Segunda Circular, the Moroccan’s arrival came as a fallback signing after several failed attempts. The green-and-white club was met with repeated rejections from its first three choices to strengthen the defensive position. Zekri ultimately became Sporting’s fourth choice at the close of the transfer window.

Benfica’s hierarchy remained attentive to the best market opportunities to strengthen the squad with guaranteed quality. The Glorious One prioritizes signing footballers capable of making the difference in domestic competitions.

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