The five Primeira Liga stars who could transfer this summer

Tom Weber

19 Aug 2024 20:29 BST
4 min read

Viktor Gyokeres, Antonio Silva — © IMAGO

Portugal regularly produces some of the biggest names in football and their crop of young talent is once again staggering.

From Cristiano Ronaldo to Bruno Fernandes, this small Iberian country has exported some absolute megastars over the years and the next batch of Europe's high-profile players are set to be on the move this summer.

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It was a two-horse race between Sporting CP and Benfica at the summit of the Primeira Liga for much of last season, with Ruben Amorim's side eventually coming out on top. The third Portuguese giant, Porto, were a fair bit off the pace.

Though Porto also boast some brilliant players, their lack of competitiveness compared to Benfica and Sporting means that this list is stacked with players from the two Lisbon heavyweights. So, here are five Primeira Liga stars who could transfer this summer...

Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP)

The first of three Sporting players we will talk about today, Goncalo Inacio could finally be on the move this summer. Due to being young, left-footed and good on the ball, the centre-back has been one of Europe's most in-demand defenders for more than a year.

The likes of Liverpool and Man Utd have been frequently linked with him, though talk of a move has gone quiet lately. Nevertheless, the remains one to watch until the window closes due to his €60 million release clause.

Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP)

Sporting have managed to keep their summer exits to a minimum, but what was said for Inacio also applies to Ousmane Diomane. The Ivorian also has a release clause and no shortage of suitors.

The wonderkid is available for €80m and there have even been reports that Sporting could settle for less. At 20 years of age, Diomande is one of Europe's biggest centre-back prospects and the likes of have been keeping an eye on him for over a year.

Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)

The last Sporting player - though in truth we could have named the likes of Morten Hjulmand or Marcus Edwards as well - is Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede enjoyed an absolutely outrageous first season in Portugal after joining from Championship side Coventry in the summer of 2023.

The striker recorded over 50 goal contributions in 2023/24 and is Arsenal's top target for the striker position. The Gunners are baulking at his €100m release clause, though they could try to convince Sporting to settle for less as they close in on Vitor Roque.

Antonio Silva (Benfica)

The first of two Benfica players on this list is Antonio Silva. Despite being just 20 years old, the centre-back is already a senior Portugal international and has gone from strength to strength over the past two seasons.

Fitted with a €100m release clause, the defender was associated with Man Utd before they signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt. The towering centre-back is one of the most promising talents in his position in Europe and other clubs could yet enter the race.

Orkun Kokcu (23, Benfica)

Joao Neves has joined PSG but he is not the only Benfica midfielder who could be on the move this summer. Turkey star Orkun Kokcu's future has been in doubt for some time.

The former Feyenoord captain became one of Benfica's most expensive signings in 2023, but the midfielder's time in Lisbon has not all been rosy.

In March 2024, he publicly hit out at manager Roger Schmidt over 'misusing' him and was subsequently briefly dropped from the team. It is not inconceivable that he will be on the move again this summer.