All change in Portugal as top Primeira Liga clubs shake up squads with summer transfers

Portuguese football's top clubs are undergoing significant transfer activity before the new Primeira Liga season, with the country's biggest four teams reshaping their squads.

Porto is aggressively rebuilding after last season's struggles, with president André Villas-Boas calling this a record transfer window. They signed Spanish midfielder Gabri Veiga from Al-Ahli for €15 million plus add-ons, with Veiga accepting a massive pay cut. Porto also paid €16.5 million for Norwich City winger Borja Sainz, who scored 19 goals in the Championship last season, with Norwich retaining a 20% sell-on clause. Additionally, they acquired young Croatian centre-back Dominik Prpic from Hajduk Split for €4.5 million and brought back academy product João Costa as goalkeeper after his spells with Feirense and Estrela da Amadora. Departures include non-renewed loans for Tiago Djaló and Fábio Vieira, and veteran defender Marcano's retirement.

Benfica is completely restructuring its attack after losing key players. Ángel Di María returned to Rosario Central after his contract expired following a 36-goal contribution over two seasons. Midfielder Orkun Kökçü was sold to Besiktas due to disciplinary issues, while Álvaro Carreras joined Real Madrid for €50 million. Loans for Renato Sanches, Zeki Amdouni, and Andrea Belotti were terminated, and Arthur Cabral was sold to Botafogo. Defensively, backup goalkeeper André Gomes and defender Adrian Bajrami were loaned to Alverca and Luzern respectively.

Benfica's incoming transfers include Spanish left-back Rafael Obrador and Argentine midfielder Enzo Barrenechea from Aston Villa for €15 million. The club is also pursuing the return of João Félix, with the Portuguese international reportedly keen to reunite with coach Bruno Lage at his former club.