Milan Skriniar knows of Benfica's interest and has made his choice | OneFootball

Milan Skriniar is not expected to join Benfica in the summer transfer window, despite being mentioned as one of the names under consideration for the Eagles’ central defense. The Slovak international is happy at Fenerbahçe, where he has been an important player, and for now there are no formal offers on the table.

According to journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Skriniar is seen as a “dream” signing for Benfica, but a transfer is considered unlikely at this stage. The Turkish club’s officials have no intention of letting go of one of their key players, and the 31-year-old Slovak defender was signed by Fenerbahçe in the summer of 2025 for around seven million euros.

Benfica remain active in the market in search of a center-back and, at this point, Clément Lenglet appears to be the name most likely to strengthen the squad. The French player fits the profile desired by the club’s hierarchy, which wants to reinforce the heart of the defense following recent changes in that area. The possibility of signing Skriniar gained momentum after comments made by Rui Costa at the club’s General Assembly.

Asked by João Diogo Manteigas whether the signing would be José María Giménez or the Slovak international, the president replied only: “It’s not Giménez,” without directly confirming or denying Skriniar’s name. The response ended up fueling speculation surrounding the Fenerbahçe player.

An additional factor linking the player to Benfica is Mário Branco, the club’s current general director for football. The executive was working at Fenerbahçe when Skriniar arrived at the Turkish club, having been directly involved in the negotiations that brought the defender to the team then managed by José Mourinho.

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