Rui Costa puts his foot down, keeps Bruno Lage’s star at Benfica | OneFootball

With the transfer window rapidly coming to a close, Rui Costa has already informed Bruno Lage that he will do everything to keep one of the Setúbal native’s undisputed starters in the current Benfica squad. According to the press, the President of the reds and whites will present a contract renewal offer to Kerem Akturkoglu.

The newspaper O Jogo writes that, in this scenario, where the player will no longer be heading to Fenerbahçe, the Eagles are willing to reward Akturkoglu for his professionalism and, on the table, is a salary review for the player at Estádio da Luz, further emphasizing that he will not be leaving for Turkey.

On the other hand, the same source writes that only a last-minute setback would prevent the number 7 of the Eagles from staying at Estádio da Luz, at least for the current season. Meanwhile, José Mourinho, who had his eye on the player, praised Benfica’s stance in prioritizing the sporting aspect over financial matters.

Thus, with the left winger remaining in Bruno Lage’s squad, the Glorioso’s approach to the market has changed ‘drastically’. Just hours after considering the deal for Mohamed Amoura lost, the Club of Light is now looking to finalize the signing of a creative midfielder and already has some names on the table.

In 2024/25, playing for Benfica, Kerem Akturkoglu – valued at 24 million euros – featured in 53 matches: 30 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 12 in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup, four in the Club World Cup, and three in the League Cup. The Eagles’ winger scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists.

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