Akturkoglu set to leave Benfica, journalist calls it a strange situation | OneFootball

Kerem Akturkoglu is very close to leaving Benfica to head to Fenerbahçe, in a deal that will be closed around 25 million euros. Bruno Romão, coach and commentator on the channel A Bola TV, believes that the transfer will happen sooner or later, and analyzed the way the reds have been managing the whole situation.

Akturkoglu lost his starting position to Andreas Schjelderup and, since then, has been little used: "At this moment I don't think Benfica can get any return from Kerem. In fact, he probably traveled so that there would not be major problems or external pressures, because I think it is more than obvious, even by the words of José Mourinho, that the transfer is about to happen".

"Just recently Nice sold an important player a few days before the round, Benfica would have to find solutions and it did. Andreas is performing well, so is Prestianni. I think if Benfica believed that Kerem is important for this season's project, they would not be looking to sell him", he added.

Bruno Romão discussed the reds' recruitment criteria: "Now, there are very interesting issues in the dynamics of the transfer market, and regarding what Benfica's intentions were in the market. Benfica spent almost 20 million on two fullbacks. Dedic, I have watched the games, and I have not seen anything that has been transcendent and, in the end, Benfica enters a pre-qualifying stage of the Champions League and, on that front line, Benfica does not have that many solutions".

"The player was about to be transferred, the values are agreed upon, the player should leave. If indeed Benfica believed that the player was important, they would not sell him, so, playing two minutes, having him in the locker room and at training unhappy. So, I think in terms of sports management, the club took a complicated step that can create problems in the day-to-day and in the daily management of the group. A strange, uncomfortable situation, but well, it's football", he concluded.

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