Offer for Gustavo Puerta

Benfica has officially made a proposal to Racing Santander to secure the signing of Gustavo Puerta, a 23-year-old midfielder, as reported by Portuguese media. The sale of the Colombian would be a severe blow to Racing's transfer market.

The Portuguese club is speeding up negotiations in this final stretch of the summer transfer market with Gustavo Puerta's agent, Miguel Cardona, while the Cantabrian board insists on adhering to the player's €20 million release clause.

Racing Santander's Stance and the Economic Distribution of the Clause

The sports management headed by Chema Aragón has informed Lisbon's offices that they will not negotiate a reduction in the €20 million stipulated in the player's release clause. If the player leaves for that amount, Racing Santander will have to pay 50% of the final amount to Bayer Leverkusen due to prior agreements from his previous transfer.

The Cantabrian club tried to renew the midfielder before the World Cup, offering him a salary increase in exchange for raising his release clause. Despite market speculation, Puerta has started as a key player in the first 2 matches of LaLiga EA Sports against Villarreal and Getafe, also lined up to face Elche.

The Role of Richard Ríos and Benfica's Market Deadlines

The Colombian's priority is to join Benfica to compete in the UEFA Champions League, ruling out other continental options. However, the Portuguese side needs to first agree to the sale of Richard Ríos to free up space in midfield, after having signed João Palhinha in this transfer window.

A key advantage for the Portuguese team lies in the difference in federation calendars. While the registration market in Spain closes on Tuesday, September 1st, the transfer window in Portugal remains open until September 15th, giving Benfica an additional two weeks to structure the deal.

Benfica's board will hold a formal meeting with Racing Santander's representatives in the next 48 hours. During the summit, the Portuguese entity will decide whether to directly pay the €20 million release clause or wait to finalize Richard Ríos' departure before the September 15th deadline.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Oferta por Gustavo Puerta