SL Benfica will resist selling Jan-Niklas Beste in the January transfer window amid the 25-year-old German wide player’s links with Crystal Palace.
According to reports by O Jogo and A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, Jan-Niklas Beste is the subject of interest from Crystal Palace. The Eagles are scouring the market for a versatile midfielder heading into the January transfer window. However, Primeira Liga giants SL Benfica will resist parting ways with the German wide player next month.
Jan-Niklas Beste and his Benfica bother
Jan-Niklas Beste has struggled to make his mark since joining SL Benfica from FC Heidenheim in the summer transfer window. A native of Hamm, he graduated from the youth division at Borussia Dortmund but rose in prominence during his spell with FC Heidenheim.
The 25-year-old was instrumental in FC Heidenheim enjoying an exceptional 2023/24 campaign that clinched European qualification. That earned Beste a move to SL Benfica, and he would have hoped to take his career to the next level at the Portuguese club. Instead, the player has managed only 693 minutes of game time across 18 appearances in all competitions.
However, Beste’s stock in the market remains high, with several well-known clubs across Europe setting their sights on him. An adventure in the Premier League might be on the cards, with Crystal Palace among his prospective suitors heading into the January transfer window.
What next?
Crystal Palace’s interest in Jan-Niklas Beste makes sense. The Eagles are keen on bolstering their midfield and offensive units in the January transfer window as they look to move away from the drop zone. So, several candidates have emerged on the South London club’s radar.
However, the SL Benfica wide player can be a one-stop solution for Crystal Palace, considering he can reprise roles in the midfield unit and as a wide attacker. So, depending on Oliver Glasner’s preferred system, Beste can become a viable addition to the first-team squad at Selhurst Park. However, a winter deal will unlikely see the light of day.
Beste’s contract with SL Benfica has a release clause worth €50 million. Crystal Palace will unlikely cough up the sum to secure his services in the January transfer window. So, with Benfica uninterested in cashing in on the 25-year-old German wide player, an agreement will likely have to wait until next summer.
