Footballer Gonçalo Guedes joins Benfica on loan from English side Wolverhampton until the end of the season, announced the leader of the Portuguese First League, with the striker returning to the training club.
“It’s a return to home! Trained at Sport Lisboa e Benfica, striker Gonçalo Guedes, 26, reinforces the professional football team until the end of the current 2022/23 season, on loan from Wolverhampton”, refers Benfica in a statement.
“It’s a huge happiness to be back home, I still can’t describe the happiness I’m feeling. Being able to go back to the club where I was born, where I did all my training, being able to be with my family, with my friends… it’s a unique feeling and I want to make the most of this moment”, he told Benfica TV.
“As soon as they spoke to me about the Benfica option, I was immediately delighted, obviously, because it is a club that would make an impact on me and to which I had already thought I wanted to return. I was very happy, I immediately gave the endorsement that I would like to go and then it was up to the clubs to reach an agreement. It was possible, I am very happy with that. I am one more to help the team, give everything, I will try to adapt as quickly as possible and help the team as much as possible in its objectives”, he added.
The Portuguese international transferred at the beginning of this season to the English team Wolves, after five seasons in the Spanish side of Valencia, and participated in 18 games, with two goals and an assist.
With difficulties in asserting himself in the team now coached by Julen Lopetegui, who replaced Bruno Lage in the technical command, Gonçalo Guedes returns to Benfica, the club where he trained and reached the main team, and from which he transferred in January 2017 to French side Paris Saint-Germain.
At the beginning of the 2017/18 season, Guedes was loaned to a Parisian club, Valencia, which ended up keeping the player permanently, until his departure for English football.
The striker, who was not among the choices for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has 32 caps in the main Portuguese national team, with seven goals scored, including the goal scored in the 2019 Nations League final, against the Netherlands, which secured the winning the trophy.
The 26-year-old Portuguese international preferred to return to being an eagle and play in the Champions League instead of returning to the Spanish league and playing for Barcelona, where he would also play in the Europa League. The possibility of being able to return to being national champion for Benfica also weighed in the player’s decision.
This Friday, Benfica shared images that made the player’s return official.
Gonçalo Guedes left Benfica in January 2017, at the time to reinforce Paris Saint-Germain, earning 30 million euros for the Reds. After half a season of little success in the French capital, he moved to Valencia.
With an eagle on his chest, the forward won three championships (2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17), two League Cups (2014-15 and 2015-16), a Portuguese Cup (2016-17) and a Super Cup Candido de Oliveira (2016).
