Newcastle United have lodged a bid with Benfica for the 28-year-old midfielder.
O Jogo have reported that Newcastle United have bid £13.2 million to sign Benfica midfielder Andreas Samaris.
The Mirror reported this week that Rafael Benitez was closing in on a move for the Greece international, having spent the last six weeks weighing up a deal.
But O Jogo claim that negotiations are still ongoing after the Newcastle boss offered £13.2 million to the Portuguese giants, who want at least £17.5 million for him.
The report goes on to claim that Samaris – who started nine games for Benfica last season – is unhappy with his big-part role in the Portuguese capital.
He is contracted to the club until 2019, but even though he has two years to go on his current deal it still seems like quite a high valuation for a fringe player.
Benfica signed him from Olympiacos for £8.8 million (The Mirror) in 2014 and the club still stand to make a decent profit if they were to accept Newcastle’s reported offer.
The 28-year-old defensive midfielder has 28 caps for Greece.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
