João Mário dodges Besiktas move, Benfica champion eyes new challenge ahead | OneFootball

João Mário is preparing to leave Besiktas! The former Benfica player is expected to sign for AEK, a historic Greek emblem

João Mário - who has been scoring in recent weeks - is on his way to AEK. According to local media, the former Benfica player is set to leave Besiktas, where numerous athletes who have donned the Sacred Mantle play, as he is not satisfied at the Turkish club and departure is the most likely scenario.

According to the same source, the agreement between AEK and Besiktas involves a loan without an option to buy. Remember that João Mário moved to the Turkish emblem in the summer of 2024 and, in his first season serving the black eagles, he performed well, scoring seven goals and making four assists in 37 matches.

João Mário's departure from Benfica was somewhat troubled. In a home game, against Casa Pia, from the third round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, the former Portuguese international was booed by the fans and was not at all pleased with this situation, which ended up precipitating his departure from the Club da Luz.

In the current season, wearing the Besiktas jersey, João Mário – valued at 2.1 million euros – has played eight matches: four in the Conference League, two in the Europa League and two in the National Championship. In the 491 minutes he played, the midfielder scored three goals and made one assist.

During his three seasons with Benfica, João Mário took to the field 149 times, scored 36 goals and made 23 assists. The 32-year-old athlete was a key piece in the team led by Roger Schmidt, champions in 2023, and ended the season with 23 goals, being the second top scorer of the squad, only behind Gonçalo Ramos.

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