Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nFollowing the instant success of their electrifying Colombian winger, Liverpool returned to shop in the Primeira Liga the following summer, purchasing Uruguayan striker Darwin N\u00fa\u00f1ez from Benfica for \u20ac75 million plus \u20ac25 million in bonuses. Benfica have put that money to use and worked to rebuild their squad around new manager Roger Schmidt\u2019s desires. Croatian striker Petar Musa has joined from Boavista, Serbian left back Mihailo Risti\u0107 has arrived on a free transfer from Montpellier, whilst Danish right back Alexander Bah arrived from Slavia Prague. Benfica pipped Porto to the signing of Corinthians centre-back Jo\u00e3o Victor, with Porto eyeing him as a Mbemba replacement before signing David Carmo from Braga, whilst they also brought in Brazilian winger David Neres from Shakhtar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of these players are 26 or younger, with the youngest being Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez, who joined from River Plate for \u20ac10 million plus \u20ac8 million in bonuses, with River maintaining 25% of his economic rights and Benfica putting a \u20ac120 million release clause on the Argentine midfielder. Since joining on July 14 following River\u2019s Copa Libertadores elimination, the 21-year-old has quickly become one of the first names on Schmidt\u2019s team sheet, playing alongside Jo\u00e3o M\u00e1rio and Florentino Lu\u00eds in midfield and impressing for Benfica, who won each of their six preseason matches before thrashing FC Midtjylland 4-1 in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier and beating Arouca 4-0. Gilberto opened the scoring within 8 minutes, Rafa Silva added another in the 42nd minute, Mateus Quaresma was sent off for Arouca in the 47th minute, and on the cusp of halftime, Fern\u00e1ndez opened his Primeira Liga account by anticipating the trajectory of a bouncing ball and firing a volley past Ignacio De Arruabarrena. It was his second goal in a week after receiving a corner kick from the edge of the box and firing a volley past El\u00edas Rafn \u00d3lafsson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen he returned to River from his Defensa y Justicia loan in mid-2021 he was usually a deep-lying playmaker, sitting alongside Enzo P\u00e9rez,\u201d says Argentine journalist Santi Bauz\u00e1. \u201cBut as the games went by Marcelo Gallardo realised that he was a lot more influential playing further upfield, so by the end of River’s title-winning campaign he was almost a number 10. Within the context of this Benfica side I think he would work better as a box-to-box type, he likes to have a lot of contact with the ball and create chances with his line-breaking passes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From \u00c1ngel di Mar\u00eda to Nicol\u00e1s Gait\u00e1n, Benfica are no stranger to developing Argentine youngsters before selling them for hefty profits \u2013 don\u2019t be surprised if Fern\u00e1ndez is the next player to join the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fran Navarro<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nApart from Brazilians and Argentines, we\u2019re seeing more and more Spanish players take the Portuguese league by storm. Pedro Porro and Antonio Ad\u00e1n played a key role in Sporting\u2019s first league title in 19 years, with Pablo Sarabia dazzling on loan last season, \u00c1lex Grimaldo has emerged as Benfica\u2019s starting left-back over the past six years, whilst Iker Casillas, Iv\u00e1n Marcano and \u00d3liver Torres have also left their mark on the Drag\u00e3o. There is one uncanny trend emerging: Spanish centre forwards impressing for midtable sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After arriving from West Ham, Toni Mart\u00ednez racked up 14 goals and 6 assists in all competitions for Famalic\u00e3o who, in their first Primeira season since 1993\/94, challenged at the top of the league and only missed out on fifth place and Europa League football on the final day of the season. Mart\u00ednez would last just one year in Fama before moving to Porto, where he has scored 17 goals despite not being a regular in attack. One year after Mart\u00ednez\u2019s breakthrough in Famalic\u00e3o, it was Villarreal youth product Mario Gonz\u00e1lez who scored 14 goals in 2020\/21 for Tondela on loan before moving to Braga on a permanent deal. The latest Spanish striker to make a name for himself in Portugal is 24-year-old Fran Navarro. Having developed in Valencia\u2019s academy, Navarro made the permanent move to Gil Vicente in 2021 after failing to make a first-team appearance for Los Che, and he got off to a sizzling start by scoring a brace on his league debut in a 3-0 home win against Boavista. Navarro would go on to score 16 goals to lead Gil to a fifth-place finish and European qualification for the first time in the club\u2019s 98-year history. And whilst Gil\u2019s squad has been raided this summer with Pedrinho, Samuel Lino, and Ricardo Soares departing Barcelos, Navarro has remained put despite a feasible \u20ac20 million release clause and two years left on his contract. After scoring 6 goals in preseason, Fran Navarro will be looking to open his season\u2019s account at home on Monday against Pa\u00e7os de Ferreira, before preparing to lead Gil to the next round of Europa Conference League qualifying after drawing 1-1 in the first leg in Riga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matheus Nunes<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Primeira Liga season kicked off with a 4-0 win for Benfica against Arouca, followed by a 1-0 win for Vizela at Rio Ave, a 2-0 win for Estoril Praia against Famalic\u00e3o, and a 5-1 win for Porto against Mar\u00edtimo. The main course of the weekend, however, was undoubtedly Sporting\u2019s trip to Braga, a match that would see Sporting manager R\u00faben Amorim, as well as a variety of players such as Pedro Gon\u00e7alves, Paulinho, Ricardo Esgaio and Francisco Trinc\u00e3o, return to their old stomping grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sporting opened the scoring within nine minutes as Matheus Nunes picked out Pedro Porro\u2019s run with an incisive pass, as Porro fired a cross for Gon\u00e7alves to convert from close range. Simon Banza equalized shortly after, only for Nunes to pick the ball up from deep in his own half, outmuscle and evade various opponents before picking out Nuno Santos with a cross-field pass, with Santos somehow outdoing Matheus\u2019 individual brilliance with a delightful finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n