Joao Felix, Darwin Núñez or Rúben Dias. Which players did Benfica sell for the most money?

Benfica Lisbon is one of the clubs that can boast one of the best football academies in the world. At the same time, they are great at scouting young and cheap talent and then evaluating them several times over. Which footballers have they cashed in the most money for?

5. Axel Witsel | €40m | Zenit | 2012

Witsel was an offensive midfielder or even a winger in his youth, but later retreated to a defensive midfielder position. He joined Benfica in 2011 at the age of 22 and was a highly rated young player.

But after a year in Lisbon, Zenit St. Petersburg came in and paid Witsel’s exit clause, which amounted to €40 million. After that, the Belgian made a surprise move to China, then returned to Europe, to Dortmund, signing for Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2022.

4. Ederson | €40m | Manchester City | 2017

It’s not often that teams pay that kind of money for a goalkeeper. But that’s exactly what Manchester City did in 2017.

Pep Guardiola was convinced that the Brazilian goalkeeper was exactly the type he needed for his style. Yet Ederson only joined Benfica in 2015 and immediately won the Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and Supertaca Candido de Oliveira trophies. Citizens made him the second most expensive goalkeeper in the world at the time.

3. Ruben Dias | €68m | Manchester City | 2020

And after the success with Ederson, Manchester City looked to Benfica again three years later. Guardiola brought in 23-year-old stopper Ruben Dias for €68m and he promptly won the league’s best player award in the 2020/21 season and led the Citizens to the title.

Dias has further cemented his place as a leader in his two years at City, and he is also working his way up to that position in the Portuguese national team.

2. Darwin Núñez | €75m | Liverpool | 2022

When the Citizens’ good experience with Benfica was noticed by Liverpool, they decided to test it out as well. They paid €75m for last season’s comet Darwin Núñez.

The Uruguayan marksman netted 34 goals in 41 games last season, and has been at Benfica since 2020. Several big clubs were interested in him, but Núñez was attracted by Jürgen Klopp.

1. Joao Felix | €127m | Atletico Madrid | 2019

Benfica academy graduate. Felix’s rise has been meteoric, so much so that Atlético Madrid even made him the most expensive teenager in the world when they shelled out €127m for him in 2019.

This made the Portuguese youngster the fourth most expensive transfer in history, with only Neymar, Mbappé and Coutinho going for more money.

Felix impressed in his debut season at Benfica, starting 43 games and scoring 20 goals at the age of 19. And Simeone thus found the perfect replacement for the departing Griezmann.

Source: Transfermarkt, Benfica