Rui Costa mocks Sporting's Zalazar fee: not of interest to Benfica | OneFootball

Rui Costa commented on Rodrigo Zalazar's move to Sporting and guaranteed that Benfica was never willing to go ahead with the figures involved in the deal. The Benfica president addressed the issue during a press conference aimed at clarifying various matters related to planning for the new season for the fans.

, but he ended up strengthening Sporting, who secured the signing from Braga. Asked about the Eagles' interest, Rui Costa ruled out any scenario of a direct battle with the Lions.

"He was not a player who, at those values, interested Benfica", said the official, making it clear that Benfica never moved forward with formal negotiations with the Minho club for the signing of the player, who in 2026/27 will represent the Lions.

The statements come just a few days after Zalazar was officially announced as a Sporting signing for 30 million euros, making him the most expensive signing in the Club's history. The Uruguay international is one of the players in whom Rui Borges has high expectations for the new season, at a time when the Lions are carrying out a major overhaul of the midfield.

Signed from Braga, Zalazar joins names such as Issa Doumbia, Pedro Lima and Silas Andersen on the list of signings already secured by Sporting for 2026/27, strengthening a department that could still lose important pieces during this summer transfer window.

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