Manager quizzed on Sunderland transfer, after insistence it’s already agreed

 

O Jogo aren’t the only Portuguese newspaper who are insisting Benfica have an agreement with Sunderland for the transfer of Sebastian Coates, and that the player is ‘in the hands’ of the Lisbon club.

It’s been a theme in the Portuguese media, growing strongly over the past week, and Sunderland selling Coates to Benfica would be highly controversial. Coates is currently on loan at Sporting and they have a buying option of €5m, however rather than pay that as soon as it became clear Coates would be a bargain, Sporting dragged things out.

More interest in Coates appeared and Sporting have been unable to agree on terms and fees with the player’s agents. There’s an opportunity for Sunderland to make more out of the transfer, but there have been claims they’d happily keep the €5m fee for Benfica too.

O Jogo have quizzed Benfica manager Rui Vitoria on the Coates situation and he tried to sidestep it, saying: “I have high-quality players here, I’m satisfied with all of them. Coates, like many players who walk in Portuguese football, has quality. Whoever addresses these issues is our president.”

There will be fireworks if Coates leaves Sunderland permanently for Benfica rather than Sporting, which is perhaps a motivation for the former.