Gustavo Marquez, a business opportunity that Schmidt loves

Benfica paid 100,000 euros to América Mineiro for the loan of the centre-back. His contract with the Brazilian club expires in December 2024; She caught the eye in Torrance

It was a surprising start. Or maybe not. Gustavo Márquez came on in the 88th minute, replacing Tomás Araujo, in the match against Famalicao, in Luz, and this could be the start of a growing career for the 22-year-old Brazilian central defender.

The Eagles coach is already accustomed to the fact that when he decides to call up players from the formation, he does so not because of rotation or bonus, but because he realizes the potential. It was the same with Antonio Silva and Joao Neves, for example. The difference between Gustavo Marquez and the above cases is that he is a player who does not belong to the club yet.

The Brazilian is on loan to the Reds from América Mineiro until June 2024, in a chance deal during the last closed season: After finishing the season in Torriense, on loan from the Belo Horizonte logo, the Eagles paid around 100,000 euros for the transfer of the season with the aim of strengthening the B team.

Other clubs have even shown interest in the defender, including Moreirense, but none have admitted to paying that much for a loan. The Eagles decided to go ahead and wait and see: Gustavo Márquez's contract with América Mineiro expires in December 2024 and it is possible that at the end of this season the footballer could sign with the Reds for a modest fee, considering that he will only miss half a year of contact with the Minas state logo. Gerais, Brazil.

This season, the central defender has played for the B team, having played 15 matches, all as a starter. Also this Saturday, although he played six minutes for the A team the day before, he started in the 2-2 draw at Pacos de Ferreira, having been substituted in the 76th minute.

A powerful defender, 1.89 meters tall and weighing 84 kilograms, he was introduced to Portuguese eyes in 2022/2023, when he arrived at Torres Vedras. For Oeste, in the Second League, he played 30 matches, scoring three goals and being the author of two assists. It's enough to attract a lot of attention.

In addition to America Minero, the formation steps also passed through Cruzeiro. In Europe for a year and a half, Gustavo Márquez can now say he played for Benfica's main team, at the Estadio da Luz.