Benfica eying Standard Liege midfielder http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Steven-Defour-c34194 – Portuguese football news
Portuguese side Benfica is reportedly keen on signing http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Belgium-c2850 international Steven Defour from Belgian outfit Standard Liege.
The Belgian international has caught the eye of the Portuguese giants due to his good performances with the Belgian giants and it has been acknowledged widely that the 22-year-old will seek a move to a big club in order to raise his profile on the world
stage.
Furthermore, with Liege struggling in the ongoing 2010-11 season and not guaranteed European football next season, the prolific midfielder may seek a move to a club where he can get a chance to play in Europe.
Benfica are hoping to be in the Europa League next season and are looking for a new playmaker for the next campaign after it was announced that the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Pablo-Aimar-c28938 would leave the club by the end of the current season. It has also been
reported that Benfica president Luis http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Filipe-c13764 Vieira flew to Belgium in order to discuss a possible transfer for the Belgian star with Standard Liege president Luciano D’Onofrio.
It has been reported that Liege rate the Belgian international at 10 million Euros but the Lisbon giants are looking to lure the talented midfielder for a lower price.
Furthermore, Premier League giants Manchester United have been monitoring the player for a few years and with manager Sir Alex Ferguson very hopeful to bring the youngster to Old Trafford, it seems that Benfica will struggle a lot to lure the player to the
club.
However, it is still unclear if United will table an offer for the player in the upcoming transfer window so in that case, Benfica may have an edge over the transfer of the player who is reportedly looking for an exit.
Since moving from Racing Genk to Standard Liege in 2006, Defour has become an integral part for the club and country. Since his arrival at Standard Liege, Defour has played 95 games and has been capped 24 times by the Belgian national side. If the Belgian
chooses to move to Benfica, it will be a massive boost for a club that is desperate to bring in a talented playmaker in order to replace the departing Aimar.
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