With the Portuguese press disagreeing about the method Benfica want to use to sign Matteo Darmian from Manchester United this summer, newspaper O Jogo stands firm on their position.
The outlet insists today that the Eagles want a loan deal, as they can’t afford the €17m demanded by the Red Devils for a permanent transfer.
Darmian’s contract with Manchester United expires next year, but has an option to extend it for a further season. Benfica’s idea is for the player to use this option, and then move to Lisbon on a one-year deal.
Even though the Eagles can’t afford a permanent transfer, they would still be able to pay for a loan deal and also cover the salary expenses.
To get Darmian, the Lisbon side would be relying on the help of Jorge Mendes. Even though he’s not the player’s representative, the agent is frequently involved in transfers which involve Portuguese players or clubs.
O Jogo makes it pretty clear that Darmian is not in José Mourinho’s plans for the next season, therefore it sounds like it wouldn’t be a difficult signing.
However, they don’t even mention the competition from Italian clubs, which seems to be pretty big at this stage.
