When it comes to signing players and producing stars, certain clubs always seem to develop or sign quality young players who become top stars. One of those clubs is Portuguese giants Benfica.
Here are some of the Eagles’ players who usually turn out to be top signings on FM24:
Anatolii Trubin (Goalkeeper)
The Ukrainian youngster has been one of my favourite goalkeepers to use in recent FM’s. At just 21, he is already a very capable goalkeeper and will only improve with his potential ability in the elite bracket.
There is only one issue now that he is at Benfica, rather than his former club, Shakhtar Donetsk, in that he will be far more expensive and difficult to sign now he is plying his trade at Benfica.
He cost Benfica just £8.5m, plus further add-ons, which is an absolute steal for one of the football’s best up-and-coming goalkeepers. You will have to stump far more than that at the start of the game, with a price tag likely of between £40-£50m.
Antonio Silva (Centre-back)
Silva is another one of those players that I seem to sign in all of my FM saves. At the beginning of the game, the centre-back is just 19 years of age. However, Silva is considered one of the best up-and-coming players in his position.
Silva is a ball-playing centre-back who, after a few years, generally becomes a world-class player in my saves. He seems to have every attribute to be an elite player, and his stats will only improve with maturity.
Due to his ability and reputation, Silva never comes cheap, as he generally costs around £50-60m. If you are managing a club with the resources to bring him in, then he could be a great player for a long time to come.
Morato (Centre-back/defensive midfielder)
The Brazilian is a centre-back I usually sign when in the mid-period between making the Champions League spots and challenging for the title.
The 22-year-old is not quite as good as Silva or has the same ceiling. However, he can be a highly steady player at the heart of your defence until you can bring in world-class players.
In some earlier versions of FM, Morato became an elite player. For some reason, he doesn’t seem to be quite as highly regarded in FM24. However, he is still a good addition, though, especially as he can be signed for £30m or less in most seasons.
Joao Veloso (Central midfielder/attacking midfielder)
The versatile Veloso actually starts FM24 in the Benfica B team, as he is just 18 years of age. Veloso’s stats are decent at the start of the game, but they may not suggest he will be a world star.
However, I am in the year 2030 on my current personal save, and he is my star midfielder in a team that has won three Premier League titles in four seasons while winning back-to-back Champions League.
In my team, he generally operates as a playmaker or a mezzala in a central midfield role. His most significant contribution tends to be producing assists, including 25 in his best season for my Everton team.
Unfortunately, I didn’t sign Veloso until he was thriving in the Benfica team. It cost me £ 50m to sign him. It was money well spent. However, if you sign him at the beginning of the game, he can cost you less than £5m.
If you are a big team, sign him at the start of the game and loan him out to a club at a decent level, as he is unlikely to be immediately ready for the Premier League team or a similar level in the first season.
Joao Neves (Central midfielder)
The central midfielder is one of the jewels in the Benfica crown, as he is already being touted for stardom at just 18 years of age.
His starting stats are off the charts for a player of his stage of development. In my saves, he usually plays as a defensive midfielder. However, he can also play as a central midfielder or even a central attacking midfielder.
He has the quality and potential to play any of those roles perfectly and quickly becomes a key player in most teams by his early 20s.
Neves is not a player you sign if you are lacking funds, though, as he can cost £60m+. If you are an elite team and need a central midfielder, then sign Neves, and within a few years, he will be amongst the best players in his position.
Tiago Gouveia (Winger)
This a strange one, as Gouveia is a player I haven’t seen anybody mention when discussing bargains.
The 22-year-old can play on both flanks and seems adept at producing assists and goals for your team. His starting stats are solid, and he will continue to improve with more experience.
He never seems to quite get to the elite level, but he is a good player for most mid-lower-half teams in the Premier League.
On my latest save, I signed him initially on a season-long deal, then signed him for him permanently for a bargain £4m. He went on to play for me in the Premier League and the Champions League for the next two seasons before I sold him for a significant profit.
Honourable mentions
- Orkun Kokcu
- Florentino Luis
- David Neres
Andrea Schjelderup (On loan at Nordsjaelland at the start of the game, so I left him out of my main list)
Are there any Benfica players that you always sign on FM? Let us know via our socials
