Everton may be handed their second shot at Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis, thanks to the Portuguese club’s impending signing of Enzo Barrenechea.
That’s at least if Nuno Farinha’s comments to CNN, relayed by Mais Futebol, are anything to go by.
Barrenechea is closing in on a move to Benfica from Aston Villa this summer, with the Portuguese club in the process of completing a deal for the Argentine midfielder. A report today indicated he was expected in Portugal at some point in the coming days to finalise a move.
His arrival will add increased competition to their midfield and specifically for Luis, who has been linked with a move away again this summer.
Everton are among the midfielder’s long-term admirers and a report earlier this month stated they had revived their interest, providing potential competition to Napoli for the 25-year-old.
That would be dependent on Benfica sanctioning a deal, with reports last year, when Everton were also linked, indicating that they wanted as much as €30m. That price may have now dropped given his current deal expires in 2027.
And Farinha believes they will also be more open to a sale this summer than before, thanks to the impending arrival of Barrenechea.
“Florentino, when it comes to winning the ball back, is practically unbeatable,” he said.
“There are very few players in Europe with his ball-recovery ability. On the ball, however, he doesn’t have the same tools Enzo Barrenechea possesses.
“Because of that, I believe Florentino realises his time at Estádio da Luz may be coming to an end.
“It’s true that he was very important for a long time. He won titles and played a key role in them. But it seems Benfica have been looking for ‘something more’ in that position for a while now.”
