Director says Bayern bid €25m for striker who left Benfica by choice | OneFootball

Franculino Djú has been making a name for himself at Midtjylland, after leaving Benfica on a free transfer in 2023. The 21-year-old forward was instrumental in winning the title in 2023/2024. Jacob Larsen, the club's football director, confirmed the interest of several clubs in the player, notably Bayern Munich.

"There were several big clubs that tried to get him, we have to admit that. We didn't say 'yes' to anyone, but there was a lot of interest. Bayern Munich was one of several," he said. The Bavarians' interest is due to the player's performance at Midtjylland, as he didn't make it past the U-23 team at Benfica.

According to the Danish press, the club managed by Vincent Kompany made a bid of 25 million euros, plus five in bonuses, but the offer was turned down. As his contract was nearing its end, Benfica tried to renew with the striker who, this season in Denmark, has already scored nine goals in 12 games, but Djú didn't accept.

Filipe Coelho, now assistant at Strasbourg, was the coach who welcomed him when he arrived at Benfica and admits that, from the first day, he realized that this was a unique forward: "A very humble kid arrived. On the first day, he immediately made a difference with his enormous efficiency in finishing moments. That's what caught everyone's eye, a finishing ability well above average. His first games were in the last moment of the second phase of the youth championship, which preceded the stoppage due to Covid-19 and then everything stopped. But he debuted with me at that moment and we saw then that with his ability, agility in the box, and his smooth, agile and light way, he could make a big impact. But it was in the moment of finishing that he made the difference," he explained to Record newspaper.

In Benfica's youth ranks, Franculino Djú - currently valued at 13 million euros - played 42 matches in the juniors, where he scored 33 goals and made two assists. In his last season with Benfica, in the U-23s, he played 16 games and scored 13 times.

Highlights of Franculino Djú:

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