Benfica have built a legacy as the most successful club in Portugal as well as a home for young talent to establish themselves in Europe. When it comes to making a profit off player sales, few clubs do it like SL Benfica. The Liga Portugal outfit are incredible at identifying and developing football players. In the past, it has seen several high-profile individuals come through the ranks and go on to represent elite clubs across Europe.
Indeed, Benfica have raked in over €1 billion (£840m/$1.01bn) in transfer sales since the turn of the century. These players had outstanding talent and buckets of potential. The Portuguese giants nurtured that talent and gave them a platform to succeed. Eventually, the players left for bigger teams for huge transfer fees.
Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid for €127m
Joao Felix remains the most expensive departure from SL Benfica to date. The striker was signed by Atletico Madrid for an eye-watering figure of €127m. He was only 19 years old back then and spending so much money on a teenager was a major step by the Spanish club.
Furthermore, he is also the fifth-most expensive transfer of all time. Things haven’t worked out so well for the once teenage star, who is now plying his trade at Chelsea on a 6-month loan from Atletico Madrid.
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Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for €121m
Benfica continued their incredible business in the 2022-23 season by following up the sale of Nunez to Liverpool by selling Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea. The Portuguese club only signed Enzo six months earlier from River Plate for €18m, so this represented an incredible profit.
Enzo impressed during his six months at Benfica and also shone at the World Cup as Argentina took the trophy. But €121m for the central midfielder represented brilliant business again by Benfica.
How much would 22-year-old Messi cost? 🫰#Messi #EnzoFernandez #Chelsea pic.twitter.com/zgKb8MZ5a6
— FootTheBall FC (@FootTheBallFC) February 2, 2023
Darwin Nunez to Liverpool for €80m
Darwin Nunez’s departure to Liverpool in the summer of 2022 represented the second-biggest sale in Benfica’s history. The Uruguayan was prolific in the 2021-22 season, scoring 34 goals in 41 games – including twice in the Champions League quarter-finals against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Nunez arrived from Almeria in 2020 as Benfica’s record signing at €24m, although the 22-year-old failed to win the league during his two seasons in Portugal. He has so far struggled in his early months at Liverpool. But given time, he might turn to be the lethal striker Liverpool fans dreamed of.
Ruben Dias to Manchester City for €68m
Another player that moved from SL Benfica to Manchester City for a huge transfer sum is Ruben Dias. The centre-back cost the English giants a whopping €68.00m back in 2020. His arrival at the club gave Pep Guardiola more depth in defence. Dias has helped City win two Premier League titles already and remains one of their most influential players today.
Ederson to Manchester City for €40m
It is not common to see a club splash out €40m on a goalkeeper but that is exactly what Pep Guardiola and Manchester City did in the summer of 2017.
Guardiola considered the agile Brazilian to be the shot-stopper best suited for his style of football and acted swiftly to reel him in. Interestingly, Ederson had only joined Benfica in 2015 but had established himself firmly in the first XI by the end of 2016-17 season.
So, after a brilliant campaign that saw Benfica win the Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, Ederson was a man in demand, and his move to City made him the second-costliest goalkeeper ever at that time.