From Deadline Day: Benfica sign former Braga target man Dyego Sousa on loan
Benfica have completed the signing of Brazilian-born Portuguese international striker Dyego Sousa.
Sousa returns to the Portuguese Primeira Liga on a year-long loan from Chinese League One outfit Shenzhen, who he joined from Braga in July 2019 from approximately 7 million euros.
The 30-year old joined the club when they were in the Chinese Super League, but wasn’t that prolific in the Chinese top flight, bagging just 3 goals in the 10 league outings as the club suffered relegation.
He did, however, have an outstanding final season in Portuguese football, netting 23 goals in 41 outings across all competitions in the 2018-19 season, 15 of which came in the league.
He was particularly impressive in the first half of the season, where he scored 13 of his league goals in the first 19 league matches of the campaign, getting a further 5 assists. It does mean he ended the season in poor form, though, contributing just one goal in 12 outings - a chipped penalty against Portimonense on the final day of the season.
His impressive form in the first half of the season earned him many admirers, and in the buildup and throughout the January transfer window, he was linked with a move to Benfica for as much as 20 million euros, but a move never came to fruition.
Now, however, Benfica have finally secured the services of their long-term target, and depending on how the loan spell goes, could go on to join on a permanent basis.
