Gustavo Varela: Portugal-Cape Verde forward joins Monza from Benfica B

Portugal and Cape Verde forward Gustavo Varela has joined Serie A side Monza from Benfica B, completing a move that takes the 21-year-old centre-forward from Portugal’s second tier to Italy’s top flight.

Varela leaves Benfica’s reserve team, who compete in Liga Portugal 2, to step into one of Europe’s major leagues with Monza. The transfer is a completed deal between the two clubs, with the striker now part of the squad preparing for the new Serie A campaign.

Capable of leading the line through the middle, Varela has been developed within Benfica’s structure, progressing to feature for Benfica B in the competitive environment of Portugal’s second division. His performances there, combined with his age profile and dual Portugal-Cape Verde nationality, have drawn interest from abroad and now resulted in a switch to Italy.

Monza’s move brings in a forward whose market value stands at around €3 million, underlining the scale of the step for a player moving directly from a B team set-up to a Serie A club. The transfer also continues the growing trend of Italian sides recruiting young attacking talent from Portuguese clubs.

Varela will now look to adapt to a new league and country as he begins the next stage of his career with Monza in Serie A.