Director says Bayern bid €25m for striker who left Benfica by choice | OneFootball

Franculino Djú has been making a name for himself at Midtjylland after leaving Benfica on a free transfer in 2023. The 21-year-old forward was crucial in winning the title in 2023/2024. Jacob Larsen, the club’s football director, confirmed the interest of several clubs in the player, namely Bayern Munich.

"There were several big clubs that tried, we have to admit it. We haven’t said ‘yes’ to anyone, but there was a lot of interest. Bayern Munich was one of several," he said. The Bavarians’ interest is due to the player’s performance at Midtjylland, as during his time at Benfica he never made it past the U23 team.

According to the Danish press, the club managed by Vincent Kompany made an offer of 25 million euros, plus five in bonuses, but the offer was rejected. As his contract was nearing its end, Benfica tried to renew with the striker who, this season in Denmark, has already scored nine goals in 12 games, but Djú did not accept.

Filipe Coelho, now assistant at Strasbourg, was the coach who welcomed him when he arrived at Benfica and admits that, on the very first day, he realized he had a special forward on his hands: "A very humble kid arrived. On the first day, he immediately stood out for his remarkable effectiveness in finishing moments. That’s what caught everyone’s eye, an above-average finishing ability. The first games he played were at the very end of the second phase of the youth championship, which was followed by the Covid-19 break, and everything stopped then. But he made his debut with me at that time, and even then we could see that, because of his ability, agility in the box, the smooth, agile, and light way he moved, he could make a big impact. But it was in the finishing moments that he made the difference," he explained to the newspaper Record.

In Benfica’s youth ranks, Franculino Djú—currently valued at 13 million euros—played 42 matches for the juniors, where he scored 33 goals and provided two assists. In his last season wearing the eagle on his chest, with the U23s, he played 16 games and found the net 13 times.

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