“The Portuguese giants are trying to overtake Italian Napoli in the race for the talented 23-year-old centre-back.”, — write: football.ua
The Portuguese giants are trying to overtake Italian Napoli in the race for the talented 23-year-old centre-back.
Arseniy Batagov Getty Images December 28, 2025, 4:24 p.m
According to the Turkish journalist Alice Buse Arash, Lisbon Benfica has officially entered the negotiation process regarding the signing of a contract with the Ukrainian. Unlike many other clubs that only looked at the player, Benfica took concrete action.
It is reported that the leadership of the Eagles has already started an official dialogue. For the Lisbon club, which is famous for its ability to find and develop talent for further resale in the Premier League or La Liga, the 23-year-old Batagov looks like a promising investment in the defensive line.
Earlier, the interest in Batagov from the Italian side Napoli was actively discussed in the media. The Italians saw in the Ukrainian a strengthening of their defensive redoubt, however, according to the latest data, it is the Portuguese who are now acting more decisively.
A move to Benfica could be an ideal springboard for Arseniy, given the team’s style of play and the successful experience of Ukrainians in Portugal (in particular, Anatoly Trubin, who has already become a key player for the Lisbon side).
Batagov, who recently turned 23 years old, has already established himself as a modern center back with a good first pass and a high level of game intelligence.
This season, Arseniy played almost all the games in the championship for Trabzon and scored two assists. Transfermarkt values the defender at 9 million euros. The contract with the club runs until the summer of 2028