Burnley to rival Everton in race for midfielder once compared to Casemiro
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Credit: Imago
Chris Smith
Thu 28 August 2025 17:28, UK
Burnley are looking to bolster their midfield with the signing of Florentino Luis from Benfica.
The Clarets have had a busy summer following their promotion back to the Premier League, and have already made one major midfield addition by signing Lesley Ugochukwu from Chelsea.
However, Scott Parker still needs further reinforcements through the middle after losing captain and last season’s top scorer Josh Brownhill at the end of his contract.
Now, Burnley are seemingly turning their attention to Portugal in search of a solution to this problem.
(Credit Imago)
As reported by Goodison News (18 July), Everton have shown a strong interest in Luis this summer — though the signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may have cooled that intrigue.
The 26-year-old has made 182 appearances for Benfica across all competitions since his breakthrough in 2018/19, including two outings at the Club World Cup this summer — winning six trophies along the way.
Benfica statsFlorentino LuisAppearances182Goals4Assists5Trophies6Florentino Luis’ Benfica career stats
Luis — whose contract runs until the summer of 2027 — also enjoyed a 24-game loan spell with Getafe during the 2021/22 campaign, and 11 games with Monaco a year earlier.
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But now, Turf Moor could be his next destination, with Sky Sports reporting (28 August) that Burnley are ‘interested’ in the defensive midfielder.
Roma and Marseille are also understood to be keeping tabs on Luis, who could be primed for a loan move to Burnley before the end of the window.
Alongside a midfielder, Burnley are thought to be seeking further options at centre-back, right-back and striker.
Football Insider verdict
Luis boasted a formidable defensive record last season to help Benfica finish second only to city rivals Sporting CP in the Portuguese title race.
The former Portugal youth international was first among his teammates in Primeira Liga play for tackles (82, FBref) and blocks (33), while he was second for interceptions (52) and fouls committed (36).
Luis’ robust style at the base of midfield has earned him comparisons to Brazilian star and current Man United destroyer Casemiro in the past.
“[He has] an exceptional talent and physical qualities totally in line with his footballing qualities,” former Benfica youth coach Joao Tralhao said of Luis in 2020 (InsideFutbol).
“[He] has a very similar profile to Casemiro.
From very early on, we realised that Florentino was on his way to becoming an elite player.”
While Casemiro has struggled since trading Real Madrid for Old Trafford, his exploits in Spain — winning three La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues — still live fresh in the memory.
If Scott Parker — a defensive midfielder himself during his playing days — can get even a fraction of that output from Luis, he could give them the mettle and power they need through the middle to avoid an immediate relegation back to the Championship.