Portuguese Abroad transfers round-up: Fábio Silva, Mateus Fernandes, Fábio Vieira, Florentino Luís, Renato Veiga, Daniel Podence, Tiago Djaló, Youssef Chermiti all on the move | OneFootball

The last week of the transfer window was a typically busy one for Portuguese players. Although no superstar moves took place, plenty recognisable Luso footballers took on new challengers abroad.

Fábio Silva led the way as one of the more eye-catching changes, signing for German giants Borussia Dortmund. Elsewhere, former Porto man Fábio Vieira also heads to the Bundesliga with Hamburg, while West Ham United parted with €50m to bring Mateus Fernandes in from Southampton, Villarreal broke their transfer record for Renato Veiga and Florentino Luís switched to England with Burnley.

Fábio Silva finally finds new home with Dortmund

Perhaps the most intriguing deal done in the last week of the window saw nomadic striker Fábio Silva move to Borussia Dortmund in a €25m package from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Silva has bounced around various European leagues on loan since struggling to settle at Wolves following a shock €40m move from FC Porto in 2020.

Silva has spent time on loan in Belgium (Anderlecht), Netherlands (PSV), Scotland (Rangers) and Spain (Las Palmas) before retuning to Wolves in the summer with the clear aim of finding a permanent new home. An impressive haul of 10 La Liga goals from just 26 appearances for relegated Las Palmas raised Silva’s status and led to plenty of interest during the transfer window.

BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl declared: “Fábio Silva was considered an exceptional talent at a very young age, has gained important experience over the course of recent seasons, has matured both as a footballer and as a person, and is still a young player with great development potential. Fábio brings a lot of quality to the table: a goal threat, intensity, pace, and he can be deployed flexibly in several positions. All of this, as well as the fact that he is a success-driven, hard-working striker, makes this transfer very valuable for us.”

Speaking after hie unveiling late last week, Silva said: “I'm very happy to be here. had other options. But when my agent approached me about Borussia, I told him that this would be my first choice and my priority because I think it's the best move for my career at this point in time. And in the end, after a lot of patience and many discussions, it was difficult but we were ultimately able to make it happen together. And I'm very happy to be here.”

“I watched a lot of Bundesliga games before I came here, because some friends of mine play here. Yes, I follow the league and everyone knows about the Yellow Wall, the stadium and the atmosphere, which is one of the best in the world.

“I'm 23, but I've already been to many countries and played in many leagues. So I have a lot of experience for my age, and I think that BVB are currently one of the best clubs in the world and play in the Champions League. So I'm really motivated.”

Mateus Fernandes makes West Ham switch

The largest fee paid for a Portuguese player this summer was by West Ham United for ex-Sporting midfielder Mateus Fernandes. The Hammers have invested €46m to bring Fernandes to the capital from Southampton, for whom the Algarve-native was impressive last season despite their relegation from the Premier League.

Sporting will earn around €4m from the deal, having included a clause when selling Fernandes to the Saints for around €15m last summer. Speaking to West Ham’s in-house media following the completion of his move to London, Fernandes said the style of play was an important factor in choosing his new club.

“I’m very happy to be here, and very excited to play for West Ham,” he said. “I think it’s a big step for me, and I just can’t wait to get going. It’s a massive Club. The project, the stadium, the city - everything is top level. I’m delighted to be a West Ham player, and I want to try and do well with my new teammates.

“I think the main thing that stood out was about the style of play. I want to try to play football, and enjoy football. I don’t want to just run and try to score, but to try and play good football, and I think West Ham is a good fit. I thought what the Head Coach told me about the project was fantastic. He showed me everything he wanted to do, which I really liked, so yeah, I’m very happy to be here.”

“For me, it’s the best league in the world. It’s a dream come true to play in the Premier League, with and against the best players in the world and the best teams in the world. I think it’s important to enjoy that, and for sure I will try to do my thing and help my teammates and the Club be as successful as possible.”

Fábio Vieira on the move again with Hamburg loan

Former Portugal U21 international Fábio Vieira made a deadline-day move to Germany on Monday, joining Hamburg on a season-long loan from Arsenal. Having spent last season on a similar deal at former club FC Porto, Vieira was deemed surplus to requirements by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta upon returning this summer.

A €35m signing by the Gunners in 2022, Vieira appeared in 49 games for the London side, amassing a respectable ten assists during that time, as well as three goals. Hamburg will have the option to make the midfielder’s move to the Bundesliga permanent next summer for a reported fee of €20m.

“I had really good talks with the head coach,” Vieira said of the move. “From the very beginning, he made me feel as though he fully believed in my talent and wanted to sign me for the team at all costs. That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to come here.

“The fans, the stadium, basically the conditions here at the club are unbelievable. I’m a player who feels at home in the final third. I hope that I can help the club achieve its aims with goals and assists and can’t wait to get started.”

Villarreal break the bank for Renato Veiga

Spanish side Villarreal have had an exciting close to the market. With around ten days of the window left, the Yellow Submarines secured a big-money deal to sign Portuguese defender Renato Veiga for a fee which could rise to €29.5m including bonuses – a club record. The fee was surpassed on deadline day, as Villarreal smashed their transfer record again for €31m Lyon striker Georges Mikautadze.

Veiga only joined Chelsea last summer from Swiss side Basel for €14m. Having made just one Premier League start for the Blues, Veiga was loaned to Italian giants Juventus for the second half of the season, impressing enough that Chelsea have been able to double their money for the 22-year-old in the space of a year.

"I'm very happy and grateful,” Veiga said when presented by Villarreal. “Now it's time to work hard to achieve the club's goals."

"My main motivation is to do my best every day and leave the training ground with a clear conscience, knowing that I've done everything possible."

“My goal is to try to repay the faith they've placed in me. I was already familiar with Villarreal, and it's a very big club. They presented me with an incredible project and showed me they want me here."

“My attributes? I'm a left-footed centre back, versatile, aggressive, fast, and a leader. I believe and know that I have many things to improve, also due to my age, but I believe I'm in the optimal position to do so.

“My teammates and staff have welcomed me very well from the very beginning. Those who work there day to day have conveyed to me the message that it's a very family-oriented club. You can tell there's a lot of love for the club.”

Florentino Luís takes on Premier League challenge

The final Portuguese move came late in the evening on deadline day, as Benfica allowed midfielder Florentino Luis to join Premier League side Burnley on a loan deal. The Eagles received a €2m loan fee, while Burnley have an obligation to buy Luis permanently for €24m, presumably provided they avoid relegation this season.

“Playing in the Premier League has always been a dream of mine, so this is a special day for me and my family,” Luis said of the deal. “It’s the biggest and best league in the world and to be joining Burnley at this time is really exciting for me.

“I am really looking forward to playing for this historic club and giving my all for the Burnley supporters.”

Beşiktaş snap up Tiago Djaló

At the other end of the financial spectrum, Turkish side Beşiktaş have secured a bargain deal for defender Tiago Djaló from Juventus, following his loan spell with Porto last term. The Istanbul club have paid a modest fee of just €3.5m fee, reportedly to be paid over 3 years, plus €1m in add-ons, while Djaló has signed a three-year contract.

Djaló, who emerged as a highly-rated stopper under Paulo Fonseca at Lille two years ago, spoke to the club’s YouTube channel to express his happiness at joining Beşiktaş, where he will join Portugal internationals João Mário and Rafa Silva in the ranks. “I'm very happy to be here,” he said. “This is a new opportunity for me to showcase my quality. I know I'm joining a big team, and I'm excited to help them win trophies. “I'm happy. To be honest, I've been thinking about my future and what I want to do, and I knew Beşiktaş really wanted me. I decided to come here because I knew it was a big club. “I spoke to Burak Yılmaz. He's a friend of mine from our time together at Lille , and he had a lot of good things to say about both the club and the fans. I also spoke to João Mário. I've known him for a long time, and he's also a great player. He spoke positively about both the team and the club. Describe myself? I can describe myself as a warrior and a winner.”

Podence back at Olympiacos

Daniel Podence made an emotional return to Greek side Olympiacos at the end of the window, joining the club for a third spell on loan from Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab. Podence is a popular figure with the club, having made over 100 appearances across his previous stints, while also helping Olympiacos win the Europa Conference League during the 2023-24 season.

Renato Sanches joins Panathinaikos: “Rui Vitória brought me here”

Full list of Portuguese Abroad moves across final weekend of the window:

Ricardo Esgaio (defender, 32) Sporting to Karagümrük (Türkiye)

Fábio Silva (forward, 23) Wolves (England) to Dortmund (Germany)

Bruno Gama (midfielder, 37) AEK Lanarca (cyprus) to PS Kalamata (Greece)

Thierry Moutinho (forward, 34) Larissa (Greece) to Kalithea (Greece)

Miguel Rodrigues (defender, 32) Mladost (Montenegro) to Panargiakos (Greece)

Miguel Tavares (defender, 26) Panathinaikos (Greece) to Makedonikos (Greece)

David Costa (forward, 18) Wolfsburg (Germany) to Augsburg (Germany)

Carlos Lomba (defender, 33) Sporting Bengaluru (India) to Dragon City (UAE)

Tomás Händel (defender, 24) Vitória SC to Red Star (Serbia)

Hugo Moreira (defender, 34) FC Pedras Rubras to Hong Kong FC (Hong Kong)

Daniel Podence (forward, 29) Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia) to Olympiacos (Greece)

Leandro Nunes (defender, 18) Viseu e Benfica to Dudelange (Luxembourg)

Gabriel Semedo (defender, 21) Sintrense to Aragona (Italy)

Kako (forward, 25) Aparecida to Pescara (Italy)

João Resende (forward, 22) Est Amadora to Pontevedra (Spain)

Fábio Cardoso (defender, 31) FC Porto to Sevilla (Spain)

Youssef Chermiti (forward, 21) Everton (England) to Rangers (Scotland)

Zé Pedro (defender, 28) FC Porto to Cagliari (Italy)

João Matos (forward, 18) Gravina (Italy) to Taranto (Italy)

Florentino Luís (midfielder, 26) Benfica to Burnley (England)

Afonso Semedo (forward, 16) Braga to Parma (Italy)

Telmo Cardoso (defender, 23) Alfarim to CF Esperança dAndorra (Andorra)

Fábio Vieira (midfielder, 25) Arsenal (England) to Hamburg (Germany)

Tiago Gouveia (forward, 24) Benfica to Nice (France)

Euclides Cabral (defender, 26) Neuchâtel Xamax (Switzerland) to Hassania Agadir (Morocco)

Francisco Mascarenhas (forward, 25) Eldense (Spain) to SV Mannheim (Germnay)

Tomás Tavares (defender, 24) AFS to Wisla Plock (Poland)

Mateus Fernandes (midfielder, 21) Southampton (England) to West Ham United (England)

Renato Sanches (midfielder, 28) Paris Saint-Germain (France) to Panathinaikos (Greece)

Gonçalo Almeida (defender, 22) Boavista to FK Ural (Russia)