Rui Costa clarifies if José María Giménez will join Benfica | OneFootball

Rui Costa once again addressed the process of signing a centre-back for Benfica and dropped a hint about the identity of the player expected to strengthen the Eagles’ defence. After already confirming that the club has a signing practically wrapped up to fill the gap left by Nicolás Otamendi’s departure, the Benfica president reacted for the first time to the names that have been linked with the club.

During the General Assembly held at Pavilhão da Luz, João Diogo Manteigas, the defeated candidate in the club’s most recent elections, returned to the subject during the afternoon session. Addressing Rui Costa, he directly asked whether the chosen player would be José María Giménez of Atlético Madrid or Milan Škriniar, currently playing for Fenerbahçe.

The president’s reply was short but clear: "It’s not Giménez." The statement ruled the Uruguay international out of Benfica’s plans and ended up fuelling speculation around Škriniar, whose name remains linked with the Lisbon club.

Rui Costa’s words are in line with what had already been revealed by Mário Branco in recent days. Benfica’s general director of football confirmed that Benfica is at a very advanced stage in negotiations to sign the player who will succeed Nicolás Otamendi, who has meanwhile returned to River Plate after the end of his contract.

In addition to the transfer-market issue, the General Assembly was also marked by the approval of Benfica’s budget for the 2026/27 season. Rui Costa presented the members with a positive balance sheet, a document that ultimately received the green light during the meeting held at Pavilhão da Luz.

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