Sudakov ‘to stay’ at Benfica after difficult first season | OneFootball

Georgiy Sudakov intends to stay at Benfica this summer despite a below-par debut season. Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk at the start of the campaign, he wants to establish himself in 2026/27 after adaptation issues.

A BOLA reports that the Ukraine international believes he still has room to show his quality at the Estádio da Luz, regardless of whether José Mourinho remains in charge. His priority is a strong pre-season to convince the club he can take a greater role.

He arrived amid high expectation in a deal that could reach 38 million euros with add-ons, one of the biggest investments in the club’s history. Returns fell short, shaped by a first move abroad and the demands of Portuguese football.

The war in his homeland and accumulated physical load also weighed on him. He admitted signs of emotional and physical fatigue during the second half of the season.

Mourinho’s staff, working with the hierarchy, devised an individual programme to lift his level, yet he ended with six successive matches as an unused substitute.

Benfica could listen to offers this summer given the scale of the outlay, but the midfielder does not want to leave now. With Ukraine absent from the 2026 World Cup, a swift market uplift looks unlikely, so he views next season as pivotal.

Source: Glorioso 1904