Benfica dream of Zalazar, but face major hitch | OneFootball

Benfica is keeping a close eye on the market and has identified Rodrigo Zalazar, Braga’s midfielder, as one of the top targets to strengthen the squad for next season, our newspaper has learned. The Club of Luz sees the player as someone capable of adding quality to José Mourinho’s squad.

Despite Benfica’s desire to make an offer already at the start of the summer, António Salvador is not willing to make things easy. The Arsenalistas consider the player – who caused trouble for Benfica’s defense – an essential piece in building the team and are not willing to negotiate at any price.

The main obstacle to an immediate agreement will be the asking price. The amount set by the Minho club is at least 25 million euros, a figure that Braga considers fair given the player’s sporting quality, age, and potential, even knowing that this may drive away some interested parties.

At Benfica, although Braga’s financial demands are acknowledged, there is a belief that Rodrigo Zalazar would fit perfectly into the desired profile. However, the team from Luz is preparing for a long and complex negotiation, considering that Braga intends to maintain a strong position.

In 2025/26, Rodrigo Zalazar – valued at 20 million euros – has scored 21 goals and provided six assists over 39 matches, with 2,848 minutes played. The midfielder has been one of the standout players in the squad led by Carlos Vicens.

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