Official: Standard Liege confirm http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Axel-Witsel-c7029’s move to Benfica – Report
Standard Liege have confirmed that http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alex-c4752 Witsel will be moving to Benfica with a statement on their official website.
"Standard Liege and Benfica have concluded the agreement which will allow Axel Witsel to join the Lisbon-based club for five years." The official statement read.
The Eagles had been hot on the trail of the 22-year-old youngster and had to face competition from heavyweights like Manchester United and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wolves-c40952 offering
a more lucrative deal.
The Rome-based side put a €9 million proposal on the table to tempt Standard but Witsel had already set his sights on donning the iconic Red’s jersey and did not listen to other offers. The player had already expressed his wish to play for Benfica
and his father also tipped the transfer in favour of the Portuguese club by saying that his son’s talents and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Skills-c40539 would be more suited to the Portuguese Primeira Liga than the Italian Serie A.
The move was all but confirmed when Estadio da Luz Chairman, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Pierre-c29989 Francois. The Standard director had already acknowledged that they were negotiating with other clubs for their prized asset
and the arrival of the Benfica official showed that the club was closing in on their target.
Witsel rose to prominence after progressing through the ranks at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne and made his debut at the tender age of 17 in 2006. Since then he has established himself as a pivotal part of the team and has made the central midfield position
his own.
Known for his tough-tackling play and his ability to break up opposition attacks, the Belgian International should be perfect for Benfica, who have lacked a strong presence in the centre of the pitch.
The highly-rated prospect has also shown his predatory instincts in front of goal and proved his mettle by netting 12 times in only 43 outings for Les Rouches. His goal-poaching prowess should take the burden off http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Oscar-c28720 Cardozo as the main attacking
threat for Benfica, and Witsel will be even more important to the team due to the departure of veteran striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nuno-Gomes-c28237, who parted ways with the club after 12 years of service.
While he is also infamous for his somewhat reckless lunges and tackles on opponents, his undoubted potential has been tapped by the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Belgium-c2850 national team, meaning that he could bring some much needed composure to the Lisbon outfit.
Although he has been touted as a star of the future, it remains to be seen whether he can adapt to his surroundings quickly and gel with his teammates to haul Benfica to glory once more.
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