According to Sport Portuguese agents Antonio Casanova and Carlo Goncalves held a meeting with Deco on the day of Barca’s Champions League outing against Paris Saint-Germain, and discussed one young prodigy from Benfica, namely Oliveira. In recent times, the centre-back’s performances have been noticed by other Portuguese clubs, and coaches inside Benfica’s academy consider him one of the brightest prospects.
A brief informal meeting only witnessed verbal talks about the left-footed defender, with the negotiations yet to start. It is understood that Barca do not require an additional centre-back in their squad at this moment, and Deco believes a move will only see daylight after the scouting department analyses the situation and urges a new acquisition in defence. Additionally, the move will not be sanctioned without Deco’s green light.
Since taking over the hot seat at Benfica, Jose Mourinho has been a busy coach, managing four games in just 12 days. However, amidst this, he is said to be an admirer of Oliveira and kept him on the bench against Chelsea in their latest Champions League fixture. According to Sport the Portuguese manager has stated in a small group meeting: “He’s my weakness.”
The defender is contracted until 2029 and is expected to soon feature in the senior team under Mourinho.
In September, Oliveira was called up to the U-21 camp, where he debuted for the underage team against Azerbaijan in the U-21 European Championship qualification stages and also featured against Scotland four days later. Head coach Luis Freire gave the talented defender full ninety minutes in both the qualifiers.
