The 2026/27 season is up and running but Portugal’s Big Three continue to make major moves in the transfer market as they fine-tune their squads for the long campaign ahead.
PortuGOAL rounds up a flurry of activity involving Porto, Benfica and Sporting in recent days.
Teenage prodigy Mora leaves Porto
Porto wonderkid Rodrigo Mora has been sold to Italian giants AS Roma. The Serie A club have paid the Dragons €25 million plus €2 million in add-ons for 50% ownership of the player, with an option to buy the remaining 50% for an additional €25 million at the end of the season.
Portugal U21 international Mora enjoyed an outstanding debut season for the Dragons two years ago, but lost his place in the team upon the arrival of Italian coach Francesco Farioli. The 19-year-old has signed a 5-year contract for Roma.
Il nostro numero 8️⃣6️⃣#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/zuP9gIJk3N
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) August 19, 2026
Benfica modifications in defence: Circati in, Dedic out
Benfica have sold right-back Amar Dedic to Newcastle for €35.9 million, just one year after the Bosnian arrived at the Lisbon club. Dedic enjoyed a solid debut season at the Estádio da Luz, but has been kept out of the team since Marco Silva’s arrival by Alexander Bah.
Benfica have also loaned striker Franjo Ivanović to Lens for €2.5 million. The Croat has struggled to make an impression since arriving in Portugal one year ago.
Meanwhile, centre-back Alessandro Circati has arrived in Lisbon this morning to sign for Benfica for a fee of €18 million plus €2 million in add-ons. The defender was born in Italy but his family emigrated to Australia when he was still a baby. He moved back to Italy to sign for Parma in 2022. Circati has dual nationality and is a full Australian international, playing every minute of the Socceroos’ four matches at the 2026 World Cup.
Sporting bring in winger Irankunda, sell Diomande
Another naturalised Australian, Nestory Irankunda, has arrived in Lisbon. Sporting have paid a reported fee of around €18 million for the Watford winger. Irankunda was born in Tanzania but his family moved to Australia when he was a baby. He came through the ranks at Adelaide United and impressed enough for German giants Bayern Munich to sign him, although he would never play for the senior team.
🎶 They say the sky's the limit and to 𝐡𝐢𝐦 that's really true 🕺
— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) August 15, 2026
Nestory Irankunda é Leão 🫡 pic.twitter.com/UWxTXaUn1h
Sporting continue their policy of wholesale changes throughout the squad, with the sale of Ousmane Diomande to Nottingham Forest for a fee of €40 million confirmed last week. The central defender arrived at Alvalade in January 2023, playing a total of 132 games for the Lions, winning two championships and one Portuguese Cup.
