Benfica have signed the Australia international Alessandro Circati from Parma on a five-year contract running to 2031, in a deal reported to be worth around €20m plus add-ons.
The fee is understood to set a new transfer record for an Australian player, eclipsing the £15m plus £5m in potential add-ons that Leicester City paid Stoke City for Harry Souttar in January 2023. Personal terms were reportedly agreed within hours of talks between Benfica and Parma advancing this week.
Circati, 22, becomes the second young Australian to move to a Portuguese giant inside a fortnight, after Nestory Irankunda's switch from Watford to Benfica's rivals Sporting CP. Lucas Herrington has also joined Hull City from MLS, part of a wider wave in which 11 members of Tony Popovic's World Cup squad have made permanent transfers since the tournament ended.
A centre-back who came through Perth Glory's academy before joining Parma in 2021, Circati returned from a torn ACL to start 31 games last season and made 96 appearances for the club in total, 37 of them in Serie A. He became Australia's youngest national-team captain since 1981 when he wore the armband against New Zealand in November, and started all four of Australia's matches at the World Cup.