Portuguese Football in English
Gonçalo Ramos has completed his move from Benfica to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, signing a loan deal which will be made permanent at the end of the season.
Ramos arrives at the Parc des Princes just five days before the start of the new Ligue 1 campaign, which begins with PSG hosting Lorient on Saturday evening. The 22-year-old becomes the fifth Portuguese player in the club’s ranks and is part of a new-look frontline following the departure of Lionel Messi.
Dutch giants Ajax have confirmed the capture of Portuguese sensation Carlos Forbs from Manchester City on a five-year contract, having hijacked West Ham United’s deal for the forward.
Forbs, who until recently went by the name Carlos Borges, looked set to move to London with West Ham, but Ajax arrived late to overtake the Hammers in the race for his signature. City will receive an initial fee of €14m, which could rise to €19m with add-ons.
André Silva is on the move again. After two seasons with German side RB Leipzig, the Portuguese international has returned to Spanish football by signing a loan deal at Real Sociedad.
Silva lost his place in the Leipzig starting line-up last season, having struggled to live up to expectations following a high-profile switch from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021. Now he embarks on another foreign journey, which sees him continue playing Champions League football this season.
Portuguese boss Bruno Lage secured his first win in charge of Botafogo on Sunday afternoon, with the Brasileirão leaders hammering Coritiba 4-1 at home to maintain their 12-point lead at the top.
Lage’s debut in the Brazilian top flight last week saw them stage a late comeback from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Santos. This weekend, things were more comfortable for Alvinegro Carioca in front of a season-record attendance of 43,701 at the Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
As the 2023/24 club season nears with European competitive qualifiers already underway, which Portuguese players need to prove their place among the heralded elites? Who faces the greatest professional challenge?
Aside from impressing Roberto Martínez, many of Portugal’s most talented have much work to do asserting themselves as key players in their respective squads. Others have vacated the European continent entirely, moving to Saudi Arabia. And what of Manchester City’s Champions League winning duo, Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias?
Nathan Motz is with us again to provide talking points as Portugal football supporters get prepared for the exciting season ahead.
