Aston Villa and Tottenham have been following Gianluca Prestianni for months, and there’s now an interesting little complication in his Benfica renewal.
The Argentine has actually agreed to the club’s proposal. Salary, contract length, signing bonus. All sorted. So why hasn’t he signed yet?
Well, Benfica want to pay him later, and Prestianni would quite like his money now.
It’s a relatively small disagreement in the bigger picture, but it’s holding everything up. And with European clubs considering a January move, the timing isn’t exactly ideal for Benfica.
Benfica have an agreement – but there’s an issue
Portuguese newspaper A Bola explains that negotiations have progressed considerably, with Prestianni accepting the financial terms offered by Benfica. The problem is the payment schedule.
Benfica want to delay his signing bonus until the end of the season. Prestianni, however, wants to receive it when he puts pen to paper. There’s a personal reason behind that.
The 20-year-old wants to use the money to help his family and repay them for the support they’ve given him throughout his career.
He’s even willing to wait until the end of the season for the agreed salary adjustment. It’s the signing bonus he wants immediately.
Benfica, meanwhile, would prefer to postpone that payment for financial and accounting reasons.
A Bola says the ball is now firmly in the Portuguese club’s court. The disagreement could be resolved at any moment, but there’s still no formal agreement.
And while Prestianni isn’t making a fuss, the situation is apparently leaving him less comfortable than he’d like.
Marco Silva tells fans not to worry
Benfica manager Marco Silva addressed the situation on November 7, telling supporters they “can and should be reassured” about Prestianni’s renewal.
He also praised the club’s handling of negotiations and pointed out that the winger is already under contract until 2029.
There’s another reason Benfica are confident of keeping him. Prestianni is happy at the club and particularly enjoys working with Silva, who has started using him on the left wing.
That’s his preferred position, and A Bola says he feels much more comfortable expressing himself there.
Previous managers Roger Schmidt, Bruno Lage and José Mourinho had generally used him on the right or through the middle. The change has helped him produce the best football of his career.
| Competition | Apps | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liga Portugal | 11 | 930 | 7 | 4 |
| Europa League | 4 | 159 | 2 | 2 |
| Taça da Liga | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 16 | 1,107 | 9 | 6 |
Premier League interest isn’t going away
We’ve already covered Aston Villa and Tottenham’s interest in Prestianni, with Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Brighton also linked in recent weeks.
A Bola now says several European clubs with considerably greater financial resources than Benfica are positioning themselves for a possible move. And some are even considering an approach in January.
There’s also the player’s own position to consider. Record reported last month that Prestianni wanted to stay at Benfica until the end of the season and fight for the Portuguese title.
Nothing in this latest report confirms he’s changed his mind. Still, it’s an interesting situation.
Benfica have done the difficult part of convincing Prestianni to renew. Now they need to agree on when he’ll actually receive his signing bonus.
With the player already attracting Premier League attention, it’s probably a conversation they’d rather not drag out much longer.
