Last of ‘38’: after Otamendi, Benfica may change more in 2026/27 | OneFootball

Benfica are preparing to close another chapter linked to the title won in 2022/23. Nicolás Otamendi has already informed the SAD that he does not intend to renew his contract and is expected to say goodbye to the Eagles in the match against Estoril, bringing a six-season spell with the club from Luz to an end.

. Three years after winning the league title with Roger Schmidt, few players remain from that group, and several of them still have uncertain futures for 2026/27.

António Silva is one of the cases attracting the most attention. The centre-back’s contract expires in a year and there is still no agreement over a renewal, a scenario that could lead Benfica to consider a sale as early as the next summer transfer window to avoid the risk of losing the defender on a free in the future.

Andreas Schjelderup is also going through decisive days. The Norwegian winger is in his best form since arriving at Benfica and is starting to attract interest from several European clubs. The Reds’ SAD have already begun talks to extend his deal, but the market could end up playing an important role in the final decision.

Alexander Bah and Samuel Soares are also not guaranteed to stay, while Fredrik Aursnes and Rafa Silva appear, at this stage, to be the only 2022/23 champions with a virtually guaranteed place in next season’s squad. Benfica are thus preparing for a new phase of change, with fewer and fewer faces linked to the historic ‘38’.

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