Pedro Sousa tempers Benfica excitement over João Palhinha | OneFootball

João Palhinha’s possible return to Portugal has been widely discussed in the media. Benfica has shown intent to move forward with his signing. However, Pedro Sousa says the chances of that happening are low.

"There is a 25 to 30% chance of João Palhinha becoming a Benfica player. I believe he will stay one more year in foreign football, which is why I gave those figures," he said in comments on the Mercado NOW program, from the Media Livre group.

The commentator also highlighted the issue of the defensive midfielder’s salary. "Benfica also has to look at the financial side. He earns 9 million euros gross, which is 4.5 million net. Let’s imagine Benfica is in a position to open the window and pay the same as they were paying Otamendi (6M). He would already have to take a big pay cut, even with a contract longer than the two years he has with Bayern Munich. Let’s imagine it’s 4 years. 6 x 4 is 24. 24 million over 4 years. Add another 20 or 25 for the transfer, and we are talking about 50 million euros. Is Benfica willing to do that? Those are the calculations that need to be made", he stated.

It is worth remembering that Benfica has another way to sign Palhinha. It is true that the Eagles could soon move forward with a 25-million-euro offer. However, a loan deal is also on the table, with a 10-million fee and a mandatory purchase clause worth 15 million.

This season, playing for Tottenham, João Palhinha — valued at 15 million euros — made 45 official appearances: 33 in the Premier League, eight in the Champions League, two in the EFL Cup, one in the FA Cup and one in the UEFA Super Cup. .

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