Chelsea lead Premier League interest in Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni

Chelsea are among a group of Premier League clubs monitoring Benfica’s Argentina winger Gianluca Prestianni as his rapid progress in Portugal attracts growing attention in England.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the most promising young players at Benfica since joining from Argentine club Velez Sarsfield in 2024. TalkSport reports that Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle and Brighton have all followed his development closely in recent months.

Scouts from the interested clubs are assessing whether Prestianni is ready to make the next step in his career. No formal offers have been made, but interest in the winger is increasing as he continues to impress in Portugal.

Prestianni was already known to Premier League recruitment departments before his move to Benfica. His transfer to the Portuguese club was viewed as an ideal development route, giving him the opportunity to gain experience in European football before potentially making a bigger move.

He established himself within the Benfica first team last season, making more than 30 appearances in all competitions. The winger has since recorded six goals and three assists, displaying the creativity, pace and technical ability that initially attracted attention from scouts in England.

Benfica are aware of the growing Premier League interest and are keen to strengthen their position by tying Prestianni to a new long-term contract. The club is determined to protect the value of the player, who has won two Argentina caps so far.

However, the clubs monitoring him are currently gathering information rather than actively pursuing negotiations. With Prestianni continuing to develop and build his reputation, that interest could become more concrete in future transfer windows.

The latest reports were also highlighted by Graeme Bailey, who wrote on 2 October 2026 that Chelsea were part of a group of Premier League clubs closely tracking the player’s progress at Benfica.

Prestianni attracted wider attention last season during Benfica’s Champions League play-off first leg against Real Madrid in Lisbon on 17 February. He was accused of directing a racist insult at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, who said the Argentine had called him a “monkey”.

UEFA subsequently suspended Prestianni for six matches, with three of those games suspended. FIFA accepted UEFA’s request for the punishment to apply at international level.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni did not select Prestianni for the country’s squad at the 2026 World Cup after the incident, but decided to include him in the current camp.