Raul de Tomas will complete switch from Real Madrid to Benfica this week
By Ben Sundock
Just a day after selling Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea, Real Madrid will sell yet another fringe first-team player to make back some money after a busy summer window. Raul de Tomas is set to join SL Benfica some time this week.
14 goals in 33 appearances was not good enough in the eyes of manager Zinedine Zidane or the Real Madrid board of directors. After spending a fourth consecutive season on loan away from the Spanish capital, Los Blancos are ready to cash in on Raul de Tomas.
Having been sent on loan with Cordoba, Valladolid, and Rayo Vallecano for two seasons, R.D.T. is set to leave his home nation of Spain and make the short journey west to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
According to reports, the 24-year-old striker will sign with 37-time Liga Nos champions, Benfica, in the coming days on a deal worth between €20 – €25 million.
Considering that de Tomas has been with Real Madrid since the youth academy in 2004 and has never featured in a competitive first-team match, president Florentino Perez and the higher ups in the club have to be rather pleased to receive this much money for a player who contributed very little.
Raul de Tomas has proven that he can be a reliable goal scorer in Spain, but he simply was not good enough to break through the hold Karim Benzema has on the starting spot, or for that matter, be considered a reliable back up.
The signing of Luka Jovic a month ago and Mariano Diaz’s return from France last August has led to this moment which de Tomas could likely see coming. Another depth striker who will see his time with Real Madrid come to an end this summer is Borja Mayoral.
In my opinion, Mayoral is far less impactful than de Tomas and I wholeheartedly expected him to be sold before R.D.T. However, it appears the club is having a bit of trouble finding the proper suitor for the Spanish international right now.
Next. Opinion: Real Madrid says adiós to Mateo Kovacic. dark
Raul de Tomas should fit in nicely with the Eagles of Benfica who could use some help on the forward line if indeed Joao Felix is sold to Atletico Madrid some time this month.
I wish R.D.T. nothing but the best moving forward and I hope he can make a name for himself at a big club like SL Benfica in the coming seasons.