Marco Silva working behind the scenes at Benfica, seeks to keep Georgiy Sudakov | OneFootball

Marco Silva is already shaping plans at Benfica, wanting to assess Georgiy Sudakov first-hand as a potential exit is put on hold. The Ukrainian midfielder, previously viewed as negotiable under José Mourinho, could now become central to next season.

CNN Portugal reports that the current idea is to keep the youngster, with Silva keen to run his own eye over him before decisions are made.

Under Mourinho, Sudakov featured as a number 10 and off the left, but never nailed down a consistent role. In his debut campaign for Benfica he made 36 appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 7 assists.

Signed in summer 2025 for 27 million euros, one of the club’s biggest investments, the deal could climb to 38 million if sporting objectives are met.

For now, the hierarchy intend to keep the core group available to the incoming staff through the start of the campaign. The aim is to let Silva, who is moving closer to taking charge, assess resources thoroughly before any departures are finalised.

Source: Glorioso 1904