Axel Witsel signs for Benfica

Deslandes

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Axel Witsel, Standard Liége's promising midfielder, has agreed to sign a contract with the portuguese club Benfica, which is valid during 5 seasons.

Le Standard de Liège et le Benfica Lisbonne ont conclu en ce début d’après-midi l’accord qui permettra à Axel WITSEL de s’engager ce soir pour 5 ans avec le club lisboète.

Le Président du Benfica Lisbonne s’était déplacé jusqu’en Belgique pour que les négociations puissent aboutir. Le Standard a tenu les engagements pris envers son joueur arrivé au club à l’âge de 10 ans. Il lui souhaite beaucoup de succès dans la suite de sa carrière que l’on devine déjà très talentueuse. Le Standard se réjouit d’avoir contribué à ce que son palmarès affiche déjà à l’âge de 22 ans deux titres de champion de Belgique, deux Super Coupes, une Coupe de Belgique et plusieurs participations européennes dont un ¼ de finale en Europa League.
Standard TV a suivi les derniers moments de la négociation et nous publierons sur ce site une vidéo exclusive dans les toutes prochaines heures.


English (Google Translator, sorry for any incorrections):


Standard Liege and Benfica reached early this afternoon an agreement which will allow Axel Witsel to commit tonight for five years with the Lisbon-club.

The President of Benfica had traveled to Belgium so that negotiations could succeed. The Standard has kept its commitments to player who arrived at the club at the age of 10 He wishes him success in his future career that can be guessed already very talented. The Standard is pleased to have contributed to his record shows already at age 22 two Belgian league titles, two Super Cups, one Cup and several European participation with a quarter-final in the Europa League.

Standard TV has followed the final stages of negotiation and we will publish on this site an exclusive video in the next few hours.
Site officiel du Royal Standard de Lige - Nouvelles - Lire

Thoughts? Will he succeed? Was this a step forwards or backwards in his career? Do you agree with his choice, as he also had Roma after him?
 
I am a Porto fan , so don't expect anything good from me about Benfica... BUT!!!! He is a good player and i am looking forward to see him.

Anyway Porto just stole Alex Sandro from Benfica radar today :p.
 
''Financial details of the move have not been released, although media reports suggest that Benfica paid a transfer fee of between 7 million and 8 million euros.''

Probably the latter, Benfica just won an auction for him between themselves, Blackburn and Roma...

They got him for 8 million euros and the closest bid was Romas 6.5 million euros plus incentives and Standard eventually let him go when they saw Roma weren't going to up their bid. Could be a promising signing but I would have thought Benficas offence/midfield was sorted out and the defense is the part they need to strengthen...

Re Alex Sandro to FCP: Amazing signing. He will get sold on in 3/4 years time for a huge profit, great potential in the kid...

Question should be have Benfica bought the wrong Standard midfielder...Because Defour is on the market at a slightly higher fee price, be interesting to compare how AW and SD do outside the Belgian league next season nonetheless.
 
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hope he doesn't broke another player leg in portugal. :p
 
Good signing but overplayed slightly imo (probably due to the market being in bits tbf)

He will improve what they have but isnt an automatic name on the sheet so will still have to work hard and develop.
 
I think he's a terrific signing, surprised it's taken a big-name European team this long to pick him up, no doubt Defour will be next. Interesting to see where he fits in at Benfica, and I hope they strengthen more so we can see a more competitive title race next year.
 
hope he doesn't broke another player leg in portugal. :p
Well, if that player is wearing a Sporting or Porto shirt, )I hope he does... (6) (obviously kiddin) But maybe his fame will be worth some unfair yellow or red cards... Or not. We'll see.

And yes, I agree it isn't the sector we need to strenghten the most. I think exactly the same about Danilo (Santos). It seems that Benfica is after him and available to pay 10M for him. IMO, the positions we really should be worried about are the left and central defence. Coentrao left an hole on the left (nice one) and since David Luiz left, we do not have any defender capable of going forward and bring the game to the attacking midfield, as Javi Garcia isn't very good technically. Maybe in this role Witsel will make a difference, as he is very good in this field and plays a bit more further in the field than Javi. Still, my main concern in this team is the lack of good left and central defenders. It seems that we are after Emerson (Lille) or Ansaldi (Rubin) and Mangala (Standard). We'll see...
 
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if i were in charge of the transfers of my team, i would have paid the 8M fee and he would have come to Rome (no disrepect for benfica, but i guess he might have liked the project we're building). great signing for benfica, but i'm gutted cause i hoped to see him in giallorosso next season
 
Well, if that player is wearing a Sporting or Porto shirt, )I hope he does... (6) (obviously kiddin) But maybe his fame will be worth some unfair yellow or red cards... Or not. We'll see.

And yes, I agree it isn't the sector we need to strenghten the most. I think exactly the same about Danilo (Santos). It seems that Benfica is after him and available to pay 10M for him. IMO, the positions we really should be worried about are the left and central defence. Coentrao left an hole on the left (nice one) and since David Luiz left, we do not have any defender capable of going forward and bring the game to the attacking midfield, as Javi Garcia isn't very good technically. Maybe in this role Witsel will make a difference, as he is very good in this field and plays a bit more further in the field than Javi. Still, my main concern in this team is the lack of good left and central defenders. It seems that we are after Emerson (Lille) or Ansaldi (Rubin) and Mangala (Standard). We'll see...

Hopefully, with the coming of Garay the central defense problem should be solved, with Jardel and either Rodrick/Miguel Vitor backing up. As far as the left side, it looks that Rubin are asking too much for Ansaldi...so we return to the original Achilles' ankle of Benfica: quality left-back.
 
I just hope he breaks a leg, for what he did to the other guy. And now he signed for Benfica.
**** animal.
 
Good luck to him. Bit of a beast by all accounts.
 
Not my cup of tea, good player but he didn't even look sorry for breaking Wasilewski's leg. People that act like that have no place in the game.

---------- Post added at 01:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 AM ----------

Achilles' ankle

Achilles' heel?
 
intersting, in my porto save, i bought him, and he's a star playing together with mouhinto.
 
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