Mourinho targets Doumbia and Zalazar for Benfica’s 2026/27 rebuild | OneFootball

According to Glorioso 1904, Mourinho is already shaping Benfica’s 2026/27 squad and has put Issa Doumbia and Rodrigo Zalazar at the top of his shortlist, moves that would require significant investment.

Doumbia, of Venezia, fits the midfield profile Mourinho wants, blending power, smart positioning and late box entries with productive attacking numbers.

The 22-year-old is open to moving to Portugal, though Sporting and several Italian clubs are tracking him. Venezia are likely to seek around €15 million, a price that could rise amid growing competition.

The Zalazar pursuit is expected to be trickier. Braga are unlikely to budge and should ask close to €30 million, with talks forecast to be long and complicated. Rui Costa is understood to have warned Mourinho about the scale of the challenge given Braga’s firm stance.

The Uruguayan is in the best form of his career and is viewed as a difference-maker who can operate across multiple attacking roles. Mourinho values his intensity, ability to unsettle defences and eye for goal, qualities he considers lacking in the current squad.

Source: Glorioso 1904