Jonas missed by fans: See how much Benfica have spent on strikers | OneFootball

Benfica once again relied on Franjo Ivanovic in the classic match against Porto, when the forward came off the bench to assist Leandro Barreiro in the goal that secured the draw (2-2). The Croatian was directly involved in the point earned by the Eagles, in a season marked by dissatisfaction.

Ivanovic was one of Benfica's most expensive signings this season. The Club paid 22.8 million euros to Union Saint-Gilloise for the 22-year-old Croatian international, and, in 2025/26, he has only five goals and two assists in 34 matches.

The forward has not started a match for almost three months. The last time he was in the starting eleven was against Farense, in December, a match in which he scored. Since then, he has mostly been used off the bench and is the squad member with the most substitute appearances.

This situation fits into a broader trend at Benfica since the departure of Jonas. Since 2019, the board has invested around 186.8 million euros in the signing of 15 strikers, not including variables, with few cases of significant sporting or financial return.

Jonas left the Club after winning the 2018/19 championship. The Brazilian ended his time at Luz with 137 goals and 36 assists in 183 games, becoming the second-highest foreign scorer in Benfica's history, only behind Óscar Cardozo.

Among the subsequent signings, Carlos Vinícius stood out in the 2019/20 season by finishing as the league's top scorer, with 18 goals. Raúl de Tomás, signed from Real Madrid for 20 million euros, ended up leaving just a few months later, in January, still yielding a profit for the Eagles.

Other relevant cases were Darwin Núñez and Marcos Leonardo. The Uruguayan arrived from Almería for 24 million, was the league's top scorer in 2021/22, and was eventually transferred to Liverpool for 75 million euros. The Brazilian was signed from Santos for 18 million and sold to Al Hilal for 40 million just a few months later.

More recently, Vangelis Pavlidis has lived up to expectations. The Greek international arrived from AZ Alkmaar after being the top scorer in the Dutch league and continues to post consistent numbers, despite currently going through a goal drought.

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