Benfica know fee needed to sign Tiago Gabriel from Lecce | OneFootball

Tiago Gabriel remains one of the names being monitored by Benfica to strengthen the heart of the defense. The 21-year-old Portuguese center-back has once again entered the Eagles’ radar, at a time when Milan appear close to securing the signing of Mario Gila, thus pulling out of the race for the Lecce player.

With Gila’s move to the Rossoneri practically on track, Benfica now have one less direct rival for Tiago Gabriel. Even so, the deal remains far from simple, since Lecce are only willing to negotiate the defender’s transfer for an offer in the region of €20 million.

The Portuguese youth international joined the Italian club in January 2025 from Estrela da Amadora for around €1.25 million, and his value has risen significantly since then. Juventus and Bournemouth have been linked with the center-back in recent weeks.

With Nicolás Otamendi leaving for River Plate and Tomás Araújo involved in the Club World Cup, Benfica are facing a delicate situation at the start of preparations for the new season. At this moment, António Silva is the only center-back, aside from Gabriel Índio.

In the 2025/26 season, Tiago Gabriel — valued at €15 million — made 39 official appearances for Lecce: 37 in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia. In the 3,400 minutes he spent on the pitch, the player scored two goals.

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