It wasted no time, and in record time, signed Bruma, a forward from Braga, leaving Vasco da Gama in shock since it had an agreement on values, targets, and contractual details to seal a deal with the player, only for Benfica to get in at the last minute to seal a €6 million deal for the Portuguese attacker.
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Vasco's management was just waiting for Braga's final green light, but it was in the shadows that Benfica had been doing the silent work necessary to close the deal. Injured during his team's last game, Di María forced the Encarnados to accelerate the search for his replacement; their first choice, immediate and proper, was Bruma.
The smart move made by Benfica
Bruma's arrival represents the movement that Benfica is doing to reinforce the squad, which remains competitive after the temporary absence of Di María. The Portuguese club took advantage of Vasco's interest and sealed negotiations in a short time to secure Bruma's signature for two and a half seasons.
The attacker, in the radar of Benfica, now arrives in the light of an important alternative up front for the team. Especially now, with the probable sale of either Rollheiser or Arthur Cabral to open a place in the squad. Still, can Bruma replace such a player like Di María?
The speed with which Benfica closed the deal suggests that the club had already been considering Bruma but hadn't taken decisive action before. Di María's injury shifted the scenario, forcing the club to act in a rush.
There is also a symbolic aspect to this signing: stepping in when Vasco believed the deal was almost done reinforces Benfica's dominance in the Portuguese market.
Of course, Benfica enters the negotiation of everything that appeared sealed and agreed upon for Vasco shows evidence of the club's weight to European soccer. The attacker preferred to stay in Liga Portugal at a high performance level and contending in Champions League rather than making a change to Brazil.
Whether Benfica needed Bruma or not, whether this was an opportunity that they could not resist, only time will tell. What's definite is that they made haste, and it is done.