Although it took a while for his name to be linked to a move in the market, Gonçalo Ramos seems very close to leaving Benfica after a season of irruption and another of consecration, with great performances in the Champions League and the World Cup in Qatar. A top level striker who will leave a lot of money in the bank account of Benfica, one of the clubs that best extra returns on their sales. So it is always interesting to see how Benfica will replace their striker.
- Although he has just signed his renewal from Feyenoord, Santiago Gimenez is a striker who fits from every point of view: market price, league of origin, recent performance, youth as a starting point for later revaluation and ability to score and perform immediately, adjusting to Benfica’s demands in the fight for the title in Portugal. Effective striker, with direct and goal-oriented movements. Although Ramos is a striker who participates and builds as well as finishes, this season, under Schmidt, he has ceded protagonism in the game to focus on box-to-box play.
- Lucas Beltran is perhaps the most interesting player if Benfica is thinking long-term and not just in the present, marked by Schmidt’s style. Beltran is a player much more involved in the game, with more ability to orient, distribute and assist his teammates. So says his performance, reflected on the radar. He may be penalized by his lack of influence in the aerial game, thinking about a future sale to a higher league where physicality may be a more important factor, but his potential for play and finishing is very high.
- Gift Orban may already be off Benfica’s radar if Ligue 1 is quick to sign him but it is not out of the question that Benfica could recruit him and revalue him to figures equal to or higher than Ramos. One of the most surprising appearances of 2023 in Europe, his precision finishing and finishing make him an extraordinary finisher with plenty of room for improvement to grow in the collective game.
- Armando Broja is a somewhat silent and hidden bet, in whom Chelsea still has faith (contract until 2028) but it is not clear that his future is at Stamford Bridge. At 21 years old, his minutes at Vitesse and Southampton were of a very high level and his accommodation in the Primeira Liga could mean a smart move in his career to regain inertia and seek sustained growth in the medium term. It is a signing that would fit well with the type of young player with goal easy to revalue. On the downside, he is the only one of the players chosen who might not provide an immediate return, also coming off a major injury.
- Pedro, from Flamengo, is a somewhat more remote option considering his age, but his price could be lower, have an immediate and proven performance in the short and medium term and think about another striker later. He lacks Ramos’ ability to generate his own shots and combine and unbalance at great speed, but he is an effective striker in the back and intelligent playing with his back and inside the box.
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