Akturkoglu starts for Fenerbahçe v Benfica, eyes on his future 👀 | OneFootball

New face in the starting eleven for Benfica, in the draw against Fenerbahçe, Kerem Akturkoglu took to the field already knowing that the deal between the parties would not be finalized just yet. According to what was reported by the newspaper Record, the Turkish international had known since Monday that his transfer was once again on hold.

The same source states that it was Rui Costa who put the brakes on the departure of the number 7, after José Mourinho’s club failed, once again, to meet the financial demands of the Eagles, who, according to reports, are asking for a fixed fee of 25 million euros, plus an additional 2.5 million euros in variables.

The decision by the Benfica board, which allowed Bruno Lage to use the player, did not go unnoticed by José Mourinho who, at the end of the match, made a point of praising the stance taken by the red and whites: “Benfica only thought, and rightly so, about the sporting aspect and not the financial one.”

The Fenerbahçe coach, who is trying to sign Akturkoglu, went even further and highlighted the fact that the Eagles are fully focused on qualification: “Benfica had the chance to sell the player for significant figures, but gave complete priority to the sporting situation. The player wanted to play and from above they saw the green light to let him play. They acted like a big club,”

In 2024/25, playing for Benfica, Kerem Akturkoglu – valued at 24 million euros – appeared in 53 matches: 30 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 12 in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup, four in the Club World Cup, and three in the League Cup. The Eagles’ winger scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists.

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