Benfica signed forward Raul de Tomas from LaLiga giants Real Madrid for €20million ($23m), it was announced on Wednesday.
After selling teenage sensation Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid in a €126m ($142m) deal midweek, Primeira Liga holders Benfica turned to De Tomas on a five-year contract with a €100m ($112m) release clause.
De Tomas emerged from Madrid's youth team but never made a senior appearance – the 24-year-old enjoying loan spells with Cordoba, Real Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano in Spain.
"I'm very happy to be here. After all, it was a goal I had, to make a leap in my career and this was the best leap I could make. I am at the big club, for me it is the best club in Portugal and I'm really looking forward to getting started," De Tomas told BTV.
✍ Welcome, @RaulDeTomas9!#EPluribusUnum pic.twitter.com/RDgYYp21Gq
— SL Benfica (@slbenfica_en) July 3, 2019
"I want to do my job and score goals, which is what I do best. I've been a goalscorer since I was a kid and I hope I can score a lot of goals with this jersey and that the team can win titles."
De Tomas spent the past two seasons on loan at Vallecano, where he scored a combined 38 league goals and 14 in LaLiga last term following their promotion.
"May we win the Championship again and do a good job in the Champions League," De Tomas added. "I feel like it's going to be a very positive year. I'm aware that it's hard to win a competitive league, and also because of that there is great merit in Benfica's work last season."
