Latest from the Portuguese rumour mill
We all laughed at the Jorge Jesus rumours a few weeks back; now we face something of an action replay. Maxi Pereira has been linked with Sporting and Porto over the last week, but as with the Jorge Jesus stories, nobody really believed them.
Now both O Jogo and A Bola report that the Uruguayan full-back is very close to joining Porto, after turning down Benfica’s renewal offer. His contract ends in two weeks. Porto have offered Maxi a 4-year deal worth €2m/year, while Benfica “only” offered €1.5m.
Maxi himself said on Friday evening: “A lot has been said, but I haven’t decided where I’ll go yet.” After losing Danilo to Real Madrid, Maxi would definitely not be a bad replacement, especially as he would come on a free and it would strike a blow to their bitter rivals from the capital. Maxi, an iconic player for Benfica, is already an unpopular man in the green half of Lisbon and the 31-year-old won’t have many fans left in the red half of the city either if he decides to move north to fierce rivals Porto.
O Jogo also reports in their Friday edition that Marítimo’s Danilo Pereira is close to joining Os Dragões. Earlier this week it was said that Sporting had a deal in place, but due to problems with third party ownership the negotiations fell through between the clubs. Danilo, who played a sublime match in Portugal’s 1-0 win over Italy on Tuesday, has agreed to Porto’s offer. The 23-year-old has a €5m release clause and he’ll replace Casemiro, who has returned to Real Madrid as his loan spell expired this summer.
Jackson – Milan or Arsenal?
Jackson Martínez to AC Milan looked all but set last week, when Porto President Pinto da Costa confirmed that the Colombian striker had chosen Milan as his next destination. But after the striker gave an interview to A Bola on Thursday the move doesn’t look that sure anymore.
The 28-year-old said: “The day we’ll know where my future lies is near. I still haven’t decided [where I’ll go], as I’m focused on the Copa América.” Jackson also admitted that he idolised Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and that an offer from Arsenal would be flattering: “It’s a big club in one of Europe’s biggest leagues. We’ll have to see if an offer will become a reality or not.”
Benfica’s strike duo of Jonas and Lima may be moving to Chinese football in the coming days, O Jogo says. Benfica is set to receive around €20m for the Brazilians, who will earn €4m/year each. Guangzhou Evergrande, who are managed by former Seleção coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, are said to be their next employer.
To replace them Benfica have earmarked Anderlecht striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. The link is old, but A Bola claims they’ve chosen the 20-year-old to replace Lima.
Another Serbian who may sign for Benfica soon is Andrija Zivkovic, as A Bola says he’s “very close” to joining the Portuguese champions. Zivkovic is currently playing at the U20 World Cup in New Zealand and the transfer will be completed as soon as the tournament is finished.
Cédric leaves Sporting, Jefferson to follow?
Cédric finalised his transfer to Southampton on Thursday and former team-mate Jefferson may join him out of the Alvalade door. AC Milan and Galatasaray have already been in touch with Sporting over the Brazilian full-back, who isn’t considered essential to Jorge Jesus’ plans, according to O Jogo.
Vitória Guimarães President Julio Mendes has confirmed that André André will leave the club, also mentioning that Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Mensah is likely to go as well. Benfica have been heavily linked with the 20-year-old the last few days, but Mendes said, probably to drive up the price, that many clubs are interested in Bernard. He has already been linked with Monaco and Manchester United this summer.
Over at Braga, Zé Luís has been given permission to leave, according to A Bola. The Cape Verdean striker, whose contract ends next summer, has had a decent season, but he is reluctant to sign a renewal with The Warriors, who want to earn some money from the marksman before it’s too late.
By Jan Hagen
(for more from Jan follow him on Twitter @PortuBall)
