Benfica will make Pavlidis first summer signing

Benfica look to have landed their first signing of the summer transfer window, according to reports out of Portugal, as the club and Dutch side AZ  Alkmaar are said to have come to an agreement to move Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis to Lisbon.

The terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but it is unlikely that Benfica paid anything less than €20M for the 25 year old striker's signature. Pavlidis scored 33 goals last season across all competitions, which was more than Benfica's strikers combined during the same span.

Pavlidis will be announced once he returns from a short vacation and should hopefully solve a major issue that the club faced last season, finding goals from their starting #9. Benfica and Pavlidis have already agreed on contract terms.

The arrival of Pavlidis should mean the departure of Arthur Cabral, last season's failed summer signing who was acquired at a cost of €20M to the club. Cabral never really did seem to find his groove with the club and Benfica will be looking at all options to move on from the striker.

Benfica to pocket €10M on Gedson Fernandes deal

Former Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes is set to make a move from current club Besiktas to Russian side Zenit for €20M as both clubs are in the final stretch of negotiations. Benfica still hold 50% of Gedson's rights and will pocket half of the sale by the Turkish club once it is finalized.

Gedson departed Benfica in the summer of 2022 for Besiktas for €6M and has appeared in 81 games across all competitions, scoring six goals while providing thirteen helpers. Gedson has also captured a Turkish cup while with the Istanbul side. 

The 25 year old will become the second highest player sale in Beskitas' history and is said to have a €4M a season salary waiting for him with the Russian side.

Benfica - Player Grades - Forwards

Grading Benfica player performances during the 2023-24 season, I am only looking at players that played at some point for the club this season and are still members of Benfica's squad at this time. 

The grade scale goes from A to F with A being the best grade and F the worst grade a player can receive.

Lets get to our player reviews for Forwards:

David Neres - Neres was good at times, ok at others and injured, this explains the talented wingers season at Benfica. Neres missed just over two and half months between two different stints on the injured reserve and Benfica missed his heroics when he was out.

Player Grade: C+ 

Angel di Maria - Di Maria did all that was expected of him on his return to Lisbon but the fact the club had to rely on the 36 year old more then expected did not bode well for their season. Di Maria sparkled on many nights but was over used during the season and seemed gassed as the season grinded down. Di Maria is a free agent and it would be best to let him go.

Player Grade: B+

Rafa Silva - Rafa was right up there as the club's best player during the season. Rafa led the team in goals with 22 across all competitions and his speed continued to prove deadly against opponents. Rafa is also a free agent and his time at the Luz looks to be over after eight seasons.

Player Grade: A

Tiago Gouveia - The youngster did not look out of place when inserted into game action and produced as well as you would expect for a 22 year old. He was not awful but was not brilliant either. Gouveia deserves another chance to show what he can do next season but is likely headed out for a loan spell.

Player Grade: C

Casper Tengstedt - The hard working striker with no finish is how we will all remember Tengstedt's season. His regular starts left many scratching their heads due to his lack of finish around the net. His 4 goals in over 1,348 minutes of action is not what you would expect from a #9 and it's hard to see why the club would continue this failed experiment.

Player Grade: D+

Arthur Cabral - Benfica's big money signing from Fiorentina was a major disappointment this season, it took him some time to adjust to the club's style of play but even then could never fully earn the managers trust. His 11 goals across all competitions was pathetic and when your major accomplishment during the season is flipping off some fans, its time to end your stay this summer.

Player Grade: D+

Marcos Leonardo - He joined Benfica during the winter transfer window and seemed to score every time he came off the bench before that cooled off. His 7 goals in only 468 minutes of action was impressive but he still has a ways to go before earning regular playing minutes with the club but at least he provided some scoring from a number nine this season.

Player Grade: C+

Benjamin Rollheiser -It is hard to grade a player that saw just 152 minutes of action since joining during the winter transfer window. Rollheiser will get a full season under his belt this year to show if the class he showed in Argentina can translate to the Portuguese game.

Player Grade: C

Gianluca Prestianni - The 18 year old arrived in January and saw a whopping 3 minutes of action. Benfica dropped a €9M gamble on a player they feel will grow into a talented force with the club in the future. The future will likely not be this season though and a loan would be ideal for the youngster to get regular game action.

Player Grade: N/A