Florentino Luis has been one of the stars of the new Benfica team that claimed Liga Portugal last season. The 1999-born defensive midfielder has been a key player for the Portuguese giants since returning on loan from Getafe at the end of the 2022 season, finally claiming his place in the Benfica team alongside Enzo Fernandez.
His more prominent role since Fernandez’s mega-money move to Chelsea has caught the attention of several big teams, including Barcelona, who are keen on signing the 24-year-old. The Catalan club hopes to beat his price down to €40 million to secure his signing from Benfica.
FC Barcelona reportedly seeking to lower Florentino Luis’ price
It’s Xavi’s second full season at Barcelona, and the former midfielder already has a clear way of playing. The former midfield maestro is trying to bring back the club’s old ways of playing, and he has identified some key players who can help him achieve that, one of which is Florentino Luis.
Xavi wants a midfield pivot, someone who can effectively replace Sergio Busquets, who joined Inter Miami at the end of his Barcelona contract in June to team up with Lionel Messi again, and Florentino Luis has been targeted as the man to fill the void left by Busquets.
The 24-year-old Portuguese international has been a key player for Benfica this season. He continues to shine as Benfica look to defend their Primeira title from last season, which they pipped Porto to by two points. However, a deal to sign the 24-year-old could be tricky, no thanks to the hefty price tag in his release clause in the long-term contract he recently signed.
Florentino Luis has a release clause of €120 million, but Barcelona are hoping to get a deal worth €40 million for the Benfica man as they look to strengthen the midfield area for the future.
What is Florentino Luis’ current contract?
Florentino Luis has been in Benfica since 2010, representing the B team in 2017 before tasting first-team football a year later. After failing to nail down a place in the team, the young Portuguese midfielder went on two loan spells between 2020 and 2022 in Monaco and Getafe before coming back to Portugal to claim his place in the team alongside Enzo Fernandez.
Since Fernandez joined Chelsea in January of 2022 in a record-breaking deal, which saw the club’s owner Todd Boehly also spend heavily on young talents, Luis has established himself as one of the brightest stars in the Primeira Division, at least until the end of last season.
His performances for Benfica as a 19-year-old earned him a new deal at the club, which saw his release clause rise from €60 million to €120 million. He signed another deal last year until 2027 with the same release clause, which Barcelona are now looking to bring down to €40 million.
Can Barcelona land their man next summer? Drop your prdictions in the comments.
