Nunez, Dias, Ederson: Benfica's unreal XI if they hadn't sold their best players | OneFootball

Benfica announced earlier this week that their star player, Darwin Nunez, is moving to Liverpool in a deal potentially worth €100m.

The 22-year-old was brilliant for the Portuguese side in the 2021/22 season, scoring 34 times in 41 games.

He isn’t the first star player that Benfica have been forced to sell, though.

Transfermarkt have named the best XI that Benfica could field had they not sold any of their star players.

And it makes for a brilliant side. View it below…

GK: Ederson

Benfica sold Ederson to Manchester City for £35 million in 2017. He has won 11 trophies with the Citizens, including four Premier League titles.

RB: Joao Cancelo

Cancelo came through the youth system at Benfica and played just two games before joining Valencia in 2015. He is now one of the best full-backs in the world and has appeared twice in the PFA Team of the Year.

CB: Ruben Dias

Dias played 137 times for Benfica before joining Man City in a £61.64 million deal. He is now one of the best centre-backs in the world. He was named the Premier League Player of the Season in the 2020/21 campaign.

CB: Victor Lindelof

Man United paid €45 million to sign Lindelof from Benfica in 2017. He won seven trophies with Benfica, including three league titles.

LB: Alex Grimaldo

Grimaldo is one of Benfica’s star players. He has scored 19 goals and recorded 50 assists in his six-year spell with the club.

CM: Renato Sanches

Sanches played a key role as Portugal won Euro 2016. He won the Golden Boy award the same year. Now 24, Sanches has revived his career at Lille and is on the verge of a move to one of the world’s biggest clubs.

CM: Julian Weigl

Benfica signed Weigl for €20 million in 2020. The midfielder, who has been capped six times by Germany, has been a key player for As Águias since his arrival.

RW: Bernardo Silva

Benfica sold Silva to Monaco for €15.75 million in 2015. He’s now worth a lot more than that. Just 27, he’s already been capped 70 times by Portugal.

LW: Goncalo Guedes

Guedes left Benfica and joined Paris Saint-Germain for a €30 million in 2017. He now plays for Valencia and enjoyed his best season in 2021/22 as he scored 11 La Liga goals.

ST: Joao Felix

Felix is the third-most expensive player ever, having joined Atletico Madrid in a €126m in 2019. He hasn’t quite hit the heights expected of him but, at 22 years old, his best years are still ahead of him.

ST: Darwin Nunez

Benfica paid a club record €24 million to sign him in 2020. Two years and 48 goals later, he’s now leaving for €100m. Not bad business, that.