Benfica are reportedly exploring the possibilities of signing the legendary Italian and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for free this summer.
Buffon has disclosed that he will leave the Old Lady of Turin for the second time at the end of this season after making 685 appearances in all competitions over the two spells.
The Eagles have been looking to bring experienced players who are at the twilight of their career in the last couple of seasons. They bought Jan Vertongen from Tottenham Hotspur for free last summer.
The Portuguese club also tried to sign Edinson Cavani but his salary demands forced Benfica to backtrack from that deal. And now they are linked with a possible summer move for Gianluigi Buffon for free.
Can Benfica sign Buffon this summer?
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Benfica, Sevilla, and Olympiakos are the clubs in the race for the signature of Gianluigi Buffon this summer.
The 43-year-old goalkeeper recently admitted that he has plenty of offers on the table to choose from for the next season. And he said that he will choose the ” most stimulating and crazy” option.
Speaking to the media Buffon said at ‘La Partita del Cuore’, via TMW, ” I will decide a path where I can find motivation. I’m in no hurry to find a solution immediately. I gave everything and took everything at Juve. I said something thoughtful, but there are moments when we need to take a step back rather than take a risky step forward.”
” It was the right ending. I have good memories from the past years, it’s a context that welcomed me as a boy and made me become a man. I owe a lot of what I did to Juve.”
It will be interesting to see what the goalkeeper will choose at this stage of his life. Will Buffon continue to play football at the age of 44 and sign for Benfica? Or retire at the end of this season. Only time will tell.
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