Bad news for Chelsea & Newcastle in race for €100m star Vangelis Pavlidis as Benfica deem Greek star untouchable in summer transfer window

According to O Jogo, Benfica will not sell Pavlidis in the summer transfer window. The club reportedly views him as a crucial part of Bruno Lage's tactics, with his role being deeply integrated into the system Lage wants to implement.

Chelsea and Newcastle were reportedly interested in signing the Greek forward, hoping to negotiate a deal with the Benfica board. However, due to the Portuguese club's lack of attacking depth and Pavlidis' exceptional performance, which has exceeded internal expectations, the former AZ Alkmaar forward is now considered unsellable. The forward is the second-highest goal scorer in the league with 19 goals placing him only behind Viktor Gyokeres. The only way the situation could change is if an interested club matches his €100 million (£85m/$114m) release clause.

Lage's assessment of Pavlidis and his tactical plans were enough for the Benfica board to take the Greek international off the transfer market. This decision was further influenced by the fact that none of Benfica's other forwards have performed as impressively as Pavlidis. Meanwhile, Zeki Amdouni will be returning to Burnley, and a decision on Torino's Andrea Belotti is still under evaluation.

For the second consecutive season, Benfica has conceded the league title to rivals Sporting CP. Adding to their woes, Alvaro Carreras is also expected to leave for Madrid, leaving Pavlidis as their sole promising asset. Lage faces the challenge of identifying and sorting these issues before the start of what promises to be a highly competitive new season.

Benfica's Club World Cup journey begins on 17 June, when they face Boca Juniors.