Benfica has told the transfer market that Vangelis Pavlidis is not for sale, with the Lisbon club insisting the Greek international striker can only leave if a club pays his €100 million release clause in full.
Portuguese outlet A Bola reported that Benfica sent an unambiguous signal to interested parties, and that any offer falling short of the buyout figure would not be entertained. The publication described such a sum as extraordinary.
The declaration closes the door, at least for now, on a summer in which Pavlidis attracted wide attention across Europe. German clubs, Juventus, Besiktas and Barcelona were all reported to have targeted the striker in recent weeks.
Silva’s veto
The firmest obstacle to any departure has been Marco Silva, Benfica’s new head coach. According to the report, Silva intervened directly with the club’s board to block a potential sale, making clear he considers Pavlidis indispensable to his plans for the coming season.
The striker then underlined his manager’s judgment almost immediately. He scored four goals as Benfica beat St. Gallen 5-0 in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, giving the club a commanding start to the new campaign.
Thirty goals last season
The performance came after what the source described as a less productive finish to the previous season. Even so, Pavlidis ended that campaign with 30 goals across all competitions, finishing as Benfica’s leading scorer in every tournament the club entered.
With Silva unwilling to lose his first-choice striker and the board aligned behind him, Pavlidis looks set to remain in Lisbon unless a club comes forward with an offer that meets the €100 million release clause in full.
