Jorge Jesus' 'SuperBenfica' already has its superstar. Just like AS advanced on August 9, the Portuguese club reached an agreement to sign Edinson Cavani and will meet this Sunday in Paris with the forward Uruguayan to close negotiate the last details and sign the ccontract that will be for three years and will be around eight million euros per year in salary, bonus, image rights and bonuses for results, as this newspaper learned.
Cavani, 33, left PSG a few weeks ago in search of a new challenge. And although there was much speculation that he could be on his way to South America, with Brazilian and Argentine clubs as possible destinations, El Matador de la Celeste wanted to continue in Europe, in a club where he could continue to compete at the highest level.
He tested with Inter, with Newcastle and with Atleti, which closed the doors to him after the bad experience lived during negotiations with him last winter. But the opportunity presented by Benfica changed the landscape because it was exactly what the Uruguayan was looking for.
The Lisbon club has made the largest investment in its history to repatriate Jorge Jesus, who had achieved South American glory in one season at the helm of Flamengo. After winning the Brasileirão, Copa Libertadores and Recopa Sudamericana, Jesus accepted an offer of € 25M to return home on a mission to rescue his lifelong team from a deep crisis. With the promise of the president, Luis Felipe Vieira, that Benfica would spend whatever was necessary to once again be a leading player in European football.
Jorge Jesus identified Cavani as his great goal and he offered him the role of the main protagonist of his team, the great star of his new project and the highest paid player in the history of the Lisbon club. The millionaire salary and the payment structure of the contract were the great challenges encountered by Benfica and the great reason why it took longer than would like to authorize the signing before the shareholders' meeting. Although the contract will be for three seasons, the payment will be made for six years. Everything so that the SuperBenfica of Jesus is a reality. With a superstar up front.
Andreas Pereira will be next
After closing the signings of Everton 'Cebolinha', Vertonghen and Waldschmidt, Jorge Jesus' next target is Brazilian international Andreas Pereira, 24, from United.