Fulham's It appears that Jorge Cuenca's valuation has piqued Benfica's interest. It comes despite suggestions earlier this week that the Portuguese club were closing in on a deal.
report from portugal Hinted that Benfica see the defender as a priority target. He also said that only a small difference remained between the clubs' respective valuations.
to ball Now presents a very different picture. He claims that the move is unlikely to happen and that Benfica have already started looking at alternative options.
The latest report states that Cuenca's profile has attracted incoming Benfica manager Marco Silva, but the financial realities of any deal have proved a major hurdle.
Fulham changes assessment picture
According to A Bola, the London club are said to value Cuenca at around €20m (£17m). This is a figure that Benfica currently considers too high. As a result, the Portuguese side are not expected to pursue the transfer.
This is a significant change from reports earlier this week which suggested the deal could be completed for a fee of slightly more than €10m (£8.5m).
Benfica plan to sign two centre-backs this summer after Nicolas Otamendi left for River Plate at the end of his contract.
The Portuguese side want an experienced defender capable of becoming the leader of the back line and another young option to develop alongside Tomas Araújo and Antonio Silva.
Cuenca was seen as a candidate for the first role.
benfica look elsewhere
the newspaper says Silva praised the Spaniard's qualities Having worked with him at Fulham over the past two seasons. His left-footed profile and ability to create from the back were seen as attractive attributes for Benfica's defensive rebuild.
However, that praise hasn't translated into concrete conversations. Bola reports that Benfica have not even started talks with Fulham due to financial demands. olivier boscagli of brighton Reportedly there is one more name in their shortlist.
Finally, the latest information shows that the gap between the clubs is much wider than initially estimated.
