Market battle between Benfica and FC Porto by Bartosz Mazurek

O winter transfer market opens within approximately two and a half months, and can be the scene of an authentic battle between Benfica and FC Porto, in view of the acquisition of Bartosz Mazurek, a player of only 19 years old who is already an undisputed holder in the plans of Salzburg.

The news is advanced this Monday by the British portal TEAMtalk, who writes that Brighton has also been following, for many months, with particular attention, the evolution of the medium, being so pleased with what has also been seriously considering the possibility of coming to ‘rescue’ soon.

Born in Bialystok, the young promise fulfilled training in Jagiellonia Bialystok, having debuted by the main team on March 9, 2025, had barely celebrated the 17th anniversary, by the ‘hand’ of Adrian Siemieniec, who launched it during the triumph won in the visit to Widzew Lodz, for 0-1.

Then he had the opportunity to share a spa with several ‘known faces’ of Portuguese football, as was the case with Tomás Silva, João Moutinho, Edi Semedo or... Oskar Pietuszewski, who, in the following month of January, would end up heading, precisely, to FC Porto, in an operation that may still amount to ten million euros.

Bartosz Mazurek, for his part, would give the ‘judgment’ to Salzburg, a club that belonged to the ‘universe’ of Red Bull, about half a year later, in exchange for a sum of six million euros, having signed a valid contract until June 2031, to which the Austrians ‘grave’ so as not to let it out so easily.

Despite the ‘tender’ age, the truth is that the Polish international sub-21 did not take long to assert itself in the team guided by German coach Danny Rohl, so that he was called to participate in all 15 games played since the start of the new 2026/27 sports season, with two goals and three assists in the middle.

“The Benfica was one of the options”

The news of Benfica's alleged interest in Bartosz Mazurek is not at all new. In fact, last August, in an interview with the Polish portal Stolica Sportu, the next confessed that, before giving the ‘jump’ to Salzburg, it was the subject of a concrete approach by the leadership led by Rui Costa.

“There were other options. Benfica was, in fact, one of them”, said, before justifying the preference for the Austrian group: “They explained to me in huge detail what opportunities I would have here and what plan the club has for me. I also know that players like [Erling] Haaland, [Dominik] Szoboszlai or [Karim] Adeyemi have passed through here.”.

Polish FC Port quota is to grow?

The interest of FC Porto, for its part, arises at a time when the bet of the direction led by André Villas-Boas in Polish football is growing in sight, having translated, so far, in the hirings of Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior and, more recently, Oskar Pietuszewski.