End of the road! Araújo won't stay and is leaving Benfica | OneFootball

Henrique Araújo is getting closer and closer to closing a long chapter of his connection with Benfica. The Madeira-born striker was not called up to report for the start of training in Seixal, and everything indicates that his future will be away from Luz. At this point, the possibility of a move abroad appears to be the most likely scenario for the 24-year-old player.

Benfica’s SAD has already informed the forward that he is not expected to join the first team’s work at this stage of preparations for the new season. As happened with Gonçalo Oliveira and Sidny Cabral, the club’s officials are looking for a permanent exit that would allow the Club to obtain some financial return from a player who remains under contract until 2027.

Henrique Araújo’s path in the first team fell short of the expectations created after his rise through the youth ranks. Considered one of Seixal’s biggest prospects, the attacker stood out especially in the victorious 2022 Youth League campaign, a competition in which he played a hugely important role for the Eagles.

The most memorable moment of his time at Benfica came in the final of the European competition, when he scored three goals in the 6-0 thrashing of Salzburg. That performance, combined with the goals scored in the closing stages of the 2021/22 season, led many fans to believe that his definitive breakthrough was just around the corner.

Reality turned out to be different. After loan spells at Watford, Famalicão and Arouca, it was only at the latter that he managed to regain some confidence, scoring seven goals in 26 matches. Signed from Marítimo in 2018, Henrique Araújo is now preparing to say goodbye to Benfica, eight years after arriving at the Club and after making 31 appearances and scoring five goals for the first team.

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