Florentino Luis is unhappy with his reduced role at Benfica as the Leeds United and Newcastle target reaches eight months without a Primeira Liga appearance, as reported by Noticias ao Minuto.
For one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe, the departure of Bruno Lage cannot come soon enough at the Estadio da Luz.
Despite his obvious talents, never mind speculation linking him with a £35 million move to one of the game’s biggest leagues, Florentino cannot buy a game under the Benfica boss.
In fact, his most recent domestic appearance came during a 2-1 victory over Santa Clara back in November. The 20-year-old was left out of the matchday squad entirely as the reigning champions took on Familicao on Friday.
As you might imagine, Florentino is far from happy about falling so dramatically out of favour.
Fortunately for him, Benfica have already confirmed that Lage will be leaving at the end of the season with the coach biting the bullet as The Eagles prepare to sacrifice their hard-earned crown to old rivals Porto.
It remains to be seen who will arrive as the coach’s replacement amid links to Mauricio Pochettino and Estadio da Luz legend Jorge Jesus. But, while Benfica’s managerial situation remains unclear at present, so does that of Florentino’s future.
ESPN reported in June that Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds have identified the Portuguese as a marquee signing once Premier League promotion is assured, while Newcastle have been linked via The Mail.
“Florentino is a young player who has exceptional talent. From very early on, we realized that Florentino was on the road to becoming an elite player,” former Benfica coach Joao Tralhao told Bernabau Digital recently.
“I see Florentino as a logical option (for Real Madrid). He has a profile very similar to that of Casemiro and in Europe he is, without a doubt, one of the best in his position.”
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