In a recent report, Sport claimed that Barcelona are showing interest in Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis. It has been stated that the Catalan club are eyeing a move to secure the services of the Portuguese midfield ace.
Luis’ Impressive Run Of Form In Portuguese Football
The 24-year-old has put in a series of impressive displays at the centre of Benfica’s midfield during this campaign. Florentino has made 11 appearances for the Portuguese outfit this season but is still waiting to score or assist a goal for them on all fronts.
The Lobito-born talent has anchored the midfield with conviction and deserves credit for averaging 3.4 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal. However, he needs to work on improving his ball distribution after completing 88.9% of his attempted passes in the Portuguese top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Portuguese club will expire in the summer of 2027. Thus, it won’t be easy for the Catalan club to acquire Florentino’s services on a cut-price deal at the end of this season.
What Will Florentino Add To Barcelona Boss Xavi’s Side?
Florentino is a solid tackler and can make life tough for the opposition at the centre of the park. He can make a few timely interceptions for his team inside his half and is a good dribbler with the ball. However, the Portuguese sensation has still not proven his worth at the highest level.
Hence, Florentino could struggle to adapt to Xavi’s playing style at the Nou Camp if Barcelona manage to get a deal done for him in the future. Still, there is no denying that he has the qualities to serve as a decent replacement for Oriol Romeu at the Catalan club in the long run.
At 24, Florentino has got his best years ahead of him. We can expect him to add more bite and steel to Xavi’s midfield department. He might even help Barca challenge across all competitions in the coming seasons.
All in all, the Catalan giants would be wise to launch a move to bring Florentino to the Nou Camp when the transfer window reopens this January or at the end of this campaign.
