How Benfica have made €200 million in player sales alone in the last decade

Once a European powerhouse Benfica has now fallen to the level of being just a talent producer
Once a European powerhouse Benfica has now fallen to the level of being just a talent producer

#4 Renato Sanches - £27.5m

FC Bayern Muenchen - Training Session and Press Conference
FC Bayern Muenchen - Training Session and Press Conference

The 2016 Golden Boy winner, Renato Sanches is one of the brightest talents to emerge from the Benfica Academy in recent times, joining the Academy at the very early age of 8.

The midfielder made his professional debut in the 2014-15 season with the Benfica B team in the second division but had to wait a year for the call up from the senior team. The debut finally came in the 2015/16 season as Sanches started against Feirense in the Primera Liga.

The young Renato Sanches became the costliest Portuguese player to leave the domestic league after agreeing to a £27.5 million move to Munich.

In his only season with the first team, Sanches made 35 appearances and scored 2 goals while winning the Primeira Liga and the Taca da Liga. The same year saw Renato Sanches winning the 2016 European Champions Trophy as well as the Young Player of the Tournament while also becoming the youngest Portuguese player to play in an international tournament as well win in UEFA European Cup final.


#5 Fabio Coentrao - £27m

From being a Champions League winner with Real Madrid to being on the fringes of the Rio Ave, Fabio Coentrao has had a topsy turvy career so far.

Fabio Coentrao joined Benfica in 2007 from boyhood club Rio Ave for a reported fee of just €900,000. The full-back though was sent out on loan to due to lack of opportunities to C.D Nacional before spending the next season on loan to Real Zaragoza.

The Portuguese international became a starter at the club in 2009-10 season after spending 2 seasons out on loan. Fabio Coentrao just spent one more season with the club before moving Real Madrid in 2011, after impressive performances with the Aguias, for a reported fee of £27 million.

Fabio Coentrao made 97 appearances and scored 8 goals for Benfica, winning 2 Taca da Liga and 1 Primeira Liga with the club during the time.

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Edited by Aaditya Narayan
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