In-demand Carlos Vinicius set for move, negotiations "very advanced"
Napoli striker Carlos Vinicius has been linked with a range of clubs over the last couple of months, with his future the source of great speculation this summer.
Now, however, we look to be on the verge of seeing an end to this particular transfer saga, with negotiations for his acquisitions believed to be very advanced.
Previously, the 24-year old has not been short of suitors this window, with clubs from Germany, France and Spain competing for the signature of the Napoli striker..
Wolverhampton Wanderers were another club that were actively working to bring in the Brazilian, his name one of a number of transfer candidates for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
And, in fact, Wolves are understood to have been on the brink of signing the Brazilian striker for a fee of 18 million euros, but the transfer fell through after Vinicius failed to obtain a work permit for the move to England.
Even English Championship side Nottingham Forest were linked with the signing of Vinicius at some point this window - although reports that he was subject to an official offer from the club are considered wide of the mark.
His signing would have been audacious by a club in the second tier of English football, but it isn’t unreasonable to think such a move is possible, having seen the quality of signings Wolves managed to make when in the Championship.
However, both Wolves and Nottingham Forest, regardless of their potential interest, are set to miss out on the signing of Vinicius, with TVI advancing that Benfica have officially placed an offer of 15 million euros for the services of the Brazilian forward, and negotiations between the Lisbon giants and Napoli are believed to now be “very advanced”.
That offer should be enough to persuade Napoli to let Vinicius go, who would serve as something of a replacement to Joao Felix, who was sold to Atletico Madrid for 120 million euros earlier this month.
Vinicius has been a long-term target for Benfica, reports of their interest in the South American striker going all the way back to 2016, although a move never transpired. Now, though, that move is looking close to completion.
The Brazilian forward spent the first half of last season on loan at Rio Ave, and was highly impressive, grabbing 14 goals - and 2 assists - in 20 matches across all competitions for the mid-table Primeira Liga club.
His impressive endeavours in Portugal meant that he was recalled from his loan from Napoli, and sent instead to Monaco for the remainder of the campaign. That stint in France didn’t prove as productive though, as he was given just 511 minutes of action across 16 league games - that’s an average of just 32 minutes a game.
More often than not used as a substitute, he, quite understandably, only bagged 2 goals and 2 assists in his time in France.
However, his time in Portugal is still fresh in the memories of many clubs, and his less than impressive spell with Monaco can be overlooked, with his attacking instincts with Rio Ave wholly impressive - he was even one of the ten lesser-known Primeira Liga players that we referred to in our article last October.
