Josip Sutalo is one of the names that the management led by Rui Costa most likes to reinforce Benfica’s central defense, but the dossier runs the risk of becoming more complicated, according to the most recent information provided, this Thursday, by Alfredo PedullaItalian journalist specializing in issues related to the transfer market.
This is because Lazio will have entered the race with a view to acquiring the Croatian international, who appears as a potential successor to Alessio Romagnoli, a player whose contract ends in June 2027 (which means he could commit to any other club, at ‘zero cost’, from next January) and who remains in Atalanta’s sights.
The Roman team have already established exploratory contacts with Ajax representatives, having learned that the Dutch will be willing to release him in exchange for a sum of between 12 and 13 million euros, to which they will have to add bonuses depending on the achievement of sporting objectives.
Determining the resolution of this dossier will always be the will of the footballer himself, born in Capljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who remains linked to the Amsterdam-based emblem until the end of the next 2027/28 sports season, and who has even rejected two concrete approaches from clubs in Saudi Arabia.
“Guaranteed, in the next few days, a center will arrive”
This development comes, moreover, less than 24 hours after Rui Costa assured, on his way to Scotland (where he will attend the second leg of the third qualifying round of the Europa League, against Hearts), that the search for a new central defender for Marco Silva is on the verge of reaching a successful conclusion.
“There has been a fuss, a huge problem with the central defender issue. I understand all of this. António Silva left and a central defender has not yet arrived, but the truth is that we are not building a squad for August, but for the whole year. Guaranteed, in the next few days, a central defender will arrive, because what we have done is, between the technical team and structure, to choose well, and not quickly”, he stated.
“As we don’t feel the urgency of bringing in a central defender from one day to the next, we prefer to spend a little more days, especially because the negotiations don’t always go as we want. Many of them require more days, and that’s what has delayed the process a little, especially because we want, together with the technical team, to choose well and not quickly”, he added.
João Palhinha is hanging on by a thread
It’s not just Josip Sutalo that Benfica is at risk of losing. The same applies to João Palhinha, who from an early age was referred to by Marco Silva (coach with whom he has had a good relationship since the period they worked together at Fulham) as having the ideal profile to play the role of defensive midfielder in the system he has in mind.
This is because, the day before, Transalpine reporter Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Portuguese international had already reached a basis of understanding with Aston Villa. Bayern Munich, remember, insists that it will only release the 31-year-old player for amounts between 25 and 30 million euros, a demand that ended up driving away interest… from Sporting, the club where he completed his training.
