Barcelona will reportedly look to negotiate the price of 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder Florentino Luis down to €40 million.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Florentino Luis is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Portuguese midfielder has a release clause worth €120 million in his contract with Benfica. But the reigning La Liga champions hope to reduce the price to around €40 million.
Florentino Luis spent his formative years in his homeland and has been with Benfica for over a decade. The 24-year-old rose through the ranks at the club before making his first-team debut midway through the 2018/19 season. But he had to bide his time before establishing a foothold at Estadio da Luz.
The Portuguese midfielder embarked on loan spells at AS Monaco and Getafe, enduring hit-and-miss spells. So, Luis’s success with Benfica last season was surprising, as he became a mainstay in the middle of the park for the Eagles. But he has been in and out of the first team this term, starting only six of 16 games thus far while managing only 560 minutes of game time.
But despite falling in stature at Benfica, Luis’s stock remains high, with several high-profile clubs keen on signing him. Reports in the summer transfer window linked him with Arsenal and Liverpool. As for suitors heading into 2024, Barcelona will look to secure his services after showing interest in him.
Barcelona signed two midfielders in the summer transfer window, with Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan arriving at the club. But both players are on the wrong side of 30 and will only be short-term solutions for Barcelona. So, it behoves the Blaugrana to invest in at least one midfielder in 2024.
Florentino Luis has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona despite his struggles this term at Benfica. But the Portuguese midfielder has a release clause of €120 million in his contract with the Eagles. However, the reigning La Liga champions are confident they can reduce his price to €40 million, an acceptable sum for them.
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The report does not mention whether Benfica will accept a fee of around €40 million to part ways with Luis. So, it will be interesting to see if Barcelona can secure the services of the 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder at an acceptable sum next year.
