André Luiz makes big decision, leaves Benfica 'crazy' | OneFootball

André Luiz only thinks about Benfica. According to what has been determined, the Clube da Luz is the only preference of the Brazilian winger, who has been making a name for himself at Rio Ave. Thus, everything indicates that the Benfica board has a strong ally for the final stretch of negotiations with the Vila do Conde team.

According to the newspaper Record, the 23-year-old player has already analyzed the list of interested parties — which includes clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Marseille — and has informed his agent and Rio Ave officials that he only intends to move to Estádio da Luz in the January market. In this regard, André Luiz has already rejected the proposals presented by the European clubs.

The sports daily also reveals that the club led by Evangelos Marinakis, owner of several teams, including Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos, had the opportunity to secure a financial gain of over 15 million euros. Nevertheless, the athlete's desire is clear: to represent Benfica. Meanwhile, the Clube da Luz remains firm regarding the financial demands presented by Rio Ave.

Besides the player's strong desire to move to Luz, Benfica believes that André Luiz would have a smooth integration into José Mourinho's squad, thanks to the long-standing friendship he maintains with Richard Ríos. The Colombian international has known the winger since 2020, when they both played for Flamengo's under-20 team.

This season, wearing the Rio Ave jersey, André Luiz — valued at 4 million euros — has played 18 official matches: 17 in Liga Portugal Betclic and one in the Portuguese Cup. In the 1,390 minutes played, the winger, who has a contract valid until June 2029, scored seven goals and provided five assists.

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