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Benfica reject Real Madrid and push Álvaro Carreras further away from Xabi Alonso’s team
Benfica president Rui Costa confirmed that Real Madrid are interested in Spanish full-back Álvaro Carreras, but made it clear that the offers received so far aren’t good enough for the club. He also reiterated the club’s intention to keep Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi for at least one more season in Lisbon.
Benfica won’t budge despite Madrid’s interest
“There’s been contact for the player, but we haven’t reached any kind of agreement with Real Madrid. He’s playing in the Club World Cup with us right now, and for the moment, he’s a Benfica player,” said Rui Costa in Tampa, where the team is taking part in the tournament organized by FIFA in the United States. Carreras, 22, has a contract until June 2029 and a release clause of around 50 million euros. “We’ve had offers that we didn’t like. None of them have convinced us so far,” he said.
On Otamendi, the president was clear: “We want him to stay at least one more year. We’ve already started talks with his agent and we’re confident we’ll get a deal done.” The 37-year-old Argentine centre-back joined the club in 2020 and has become a real leader and captain for the Águias.
All focus on the Club World Cup
Costa also made it clear that the team’s full focus right now is on the Club World Cup, where Benfica will face Boca Juniors, Bayern Munich, and Auckland City in the group stage. “We’ve come here wanting to have a great tournament. So right now, in terms of the market, everything’s on hold—no ins, no outs,” he said. He also took part in the opening of Benfica’s new academy in Tampa, Florida.
The president was also asked about a possible return of Joao Félix, a former Benfica player currently under contract with Atlético de Madrid. “If we could bring back players from our academy with the quality of Joao, of course we’d love to,” he admitted. But he was honest about how tough it would be: “The transfer fee and wages are very high. There’s nothing right now that makes me think it’s doable.”
With all that said, Benfica are holding firm in the market and keeping things open regarding Álvaro Carreras, while focusing fully on making a strong showing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
