Gonçalo Guedes’ temporary departure from Wolverhampton Wanderers may not have been a big deal for the English media, but it did mean a lot for Benfica and the Portuguese press.
The attacker was seen as one of the country’s biggest promises when he left the Eagles for Paris Saint Germain in 2017. And despite the ups and downs he went through since then, his return to the Estádio da Luz was something really unexpected at this stage.
So as Benfica president Rui Costa today gave an interview to the club’s official channels, he explained all of their acts in the January transfer window, and commented on the effort to sign Guedes from Wolves.
The Eagles chief claimed it was indeed a surprise to get such a chance, and brought a few details of how the signing was done.
“I won’t hide that we didn’t think about him, he didn’t enter the equation. Closer to the end of the market, the possibility appeared and we entered the fight for the loan. This transfer was done in a day and a half,” said Rui Costa (via A Bola).
“Gonçalo was on his way to other clubs in bigger leagues but, from the moment he spoke to us, he didn’t hesitate and wanted to go back home. It was a card out of the deck. Guedes does not have a specific position, he’s an asset in several places, he’s very versatile. Home player, Portuguese, he knows our league and really wants to play for Benfica, which for me is fundamental. We didn’t think twice and brought him home.”
It was last summer that Wolves paid Valencia €32.6m to sign Guedes on a four-year contract. At Molineux, however, he struggled a bit to convince, and only had two goals and one assist in 18 appearances.
