Lecce responds to Benfica's interest in Tiago Gabriel | OneFootball

Benfica remain determined to strengthen the heart of the defence for next season, but Tiago Gabriel will not be part of their immediate plans. Although he is coveted by the Eagles, the Portuguese Lecce centre-back is too expensive, which puts him out of reach for the Lisbon club.

The cost of the deal is therefore seen as one of the main obstacles. The Portugal under-21 international has increased his value significantly after a breakout season in Serie A, making him a difficult target for Benfica’s decision-makers.

The priority for the structure led by Rui Costa, Mário Branco and Marco Silva is to sign two centre-backs with different profiles: one more experienced player and another with room to develop. In that sense, several alternatives are still being assessed to strengthen a department that has suffered important losses.

With Nicolás Otamendi’s move to River Plate and Tomás Araújo at the Club World Cup, Benfica face a delicate situation at the start of preparations for the new season. At this moment, António Silva is the only available centre-back from the first team to begin pre-season work.

In the 2025/26 season, Tiago Gabriel — valued at €15 million — made 39 official appearances for Lecce: 37 in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia. In the 3,400 minutes he spent on the pitch, the player scored two goals.

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