Top 5 player sales that helped Benfica become the world’s most profitable football club
Benfica, one of the oldest football clubs in the world, have become the masters of the transfer market. The club has been one of the most successful teams in the history of football. Despite not winning the Champions League or Europa League in recent times, the club has always been one of the most profitable clubs in Europe. But why is that so?
Well, for starters, the club has some of the finest scouts. They spend most of their time in South America, finding football's next superstar. The club identifies such players, grooms them, hones their skills and sells them when the right opportunity comes. Over the years, many big names have been identified who have fetched the club big money, including the likes of Eusebio, Luisao, Angel Di Maria, Nuno Gomes, Ruben Dias and David Luiz.
In recent times, As Águias has been appreciated by the footballing universe for their methods of running their business. It has been reported that the football club have raked in over €1 billion in transfer sales since the turn of the century. From Joao Felix to Dias to Darwin Nunez, all the players who once played for Benfica have fetched the club millions of euros.
Here’s a closer look at Benfica's top 5 player sales that have made them one of the most profitable football clubs in Europe.
#5 Axel Witsel (Zenit St. Petersburg, €40 million)
Axel Witsel is a Belgian footballer who usually plays as a defensive midfielder for his current club Athletico Madrid and the Belgium national team. Witsel, who began his career at Standard Liege, moved to the Lisbon-based club during the 2011-12 season.
He didn’t get much playing time due to a lot of competition for places. Nevertheless, Witsel, who had made his national team debut at the age of 19, was attracting a lot of interest from many European clubs. Eventually, the rock-solid defensive midfielder signed for Zenit St. Petersburg. The 23-year-old Belgian international, signed for €9 million, was sold for €40 million to the Russian club.
#4 Ederson (Manchester City, €40 million)
Ederson, who is currently one of the best goalkeepers of the current generation, used to ply his trade for the Eagles. When Pep Guardiola took charge of Manchester City, he insisted on bringing a newer face in front of goal and showed keen interest in the 23-year-old Brazilian.
Ederson had joined Benfica in 2015 on a five-year deal worth a meager €500,000. After playing for two seasons and 37 games with the club, Ederson announced that he had signed for the English club Manchester City. The Premier League champions signed him for a fee of €40 million, making him the second most expensive goalkeeper of the time, behind Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon.
#3 Ruben Dias (Manchester City, €71.6 million)
Local boy Ruben Dias also made the cut. The Portuguese centre-back, considered one of the best in his position, was once the leader of O Glorioso’s defense. During his time with Benfica, the defender helped the club win the 2018-19 Primeira Liga and the 2019-20 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. Naturally, his exploits at Benfica reverberated across the world.
So when Pep Guardiola wanted to strengthen his defensive line, only one name came to his head. Dias signed for Manchester City on a six-year contract, with an initial fee reported of €68 million that potentially rose to €71.6 million with performance bonuses.
#2 Darwin Nunez (Liverpool, €75 million)
This transfer is relatively recent. After the departure of their star man Sadio Mane, Liverpool were in search of an attacker who could fill the void. Darwin Nunez, the Uruguayan striker known for his speed and proficient technical ability, was the perfect link for Jurgen Klopp’s style of play.
Nunez was on fire at Benfica in the 2021-22 season, scoring 34 goals in 41 games across competitions. After much speculation, Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez and the Portuguese club, who had signed the stylish attacker for a club record €34 million, sold him for a fee of a mammoth €75 million.
#1 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid, €126 million)
Benfica's most profitable player transfer has been Portuguese wonderkid, Joao Felix. The forward, who initially trained at Porto's youth academy, moved to their bitter rivals in 2015. In 2018, the 17-year-old made his senior team debut and helped the Eagles win the league title in his first and only season with them. He was awarded Primeira Liga's 'Best Young Player of the Year' and the 'Golden Boy' award.
After gaining success at the club, Felix’s name started getting attached to a lot of European clubs. In 2019, at age 19, Felix signed with Atlético Madrid for a club-record transfer worth €126 million, the fourth-most expensive football transfer and the second-most paid for a teenager after Kylian Mbappe. The transfer also saw Atletico Madrid paying the highest fee for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league.