Portuguese Football in English
Vitória de Guimarães have tonight announced the signing of Ricardo Quaresma on a free transfer, landing the veteran winger on a two-year-deal.
Quaresma called time on his most recent stint in Turkey, trading Kasimpasa for a return back to Portugal, where Vitória will hold the chance to extend the 36-year-old’s contract by a further season, beyond 2022.
Darwin Nuñez has become the most expensive signing in Primeira Liga history after completing his highly-anticipated €24 million switch to Benfica from La Liga promotion hopefuls Almeria, this Friday.
The Uruguay international agrees to sign a five-year-deal with the Eagles after bursting onto the scene with a 16-goal season in the second tier of Spanish football - his first on European soil.
FC Porto have completed the long-awaited signing of Rio Ave striker Mehdi Taremi in a deal that sees André Pereira go the other way.
The Iran international lands a four-year-deal with the Dragons after enjoying a breakthrough campaign with the Vilacondenses, scoring 21 goals and grabbing five assists in his freshman season in Portugal.
Anyone who has perused the sports press in Portugal recently would be forgiven for thinking the winners of the Primeira Liga 2020/21 season had already been decided. The return of charismatic coach Jorge Jesus along with heavy investment in a raft of impressive new players brought to the Estádio da Luz, alongside the apparent inertia of FC Porto in terms of squad reinforcement, appear to point in one direction: Benfica being crowned Portuguese champions in May 2021.
But is it really so clear-cut that Benfica will reclaim the crown of Portugal’s best soccer team in the coming season?
Sporting Clube de Portugal have further strengthened their squad with the additions of midfielder Pedro Gonçalves and centre-back Zouhair Feddal.
On the back of his excellent season at Famalicão, Sporting had been chasing the all-action Gonçalves for several weeks, and finally tied him down to a five-year contract at a cost of €6.5 million, with Famalicão retaining 50% ownership of the player.
As for Feddal, the Moroccan defender has made 130 appearances in the top flights of Spain and Italy, spending most of his career in the former. He put pen to paper on a two-year deal, having signed from La Liga club Real Betis.
