Transfer Announcement: Rafa Silva detail! Beşiktaş signs Joao Mario to their squad.

Beşiktaş has added Joao Mario, who wore the Benfica jersey and was brought to Istanbul, to its squad. The Portuguese star footballer signed the official contract that binds him to the black and white team. The 31-year-old player will wear the number 18 jersey in the team.

LOANED UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON

In Beşiktaş's statement, it was stated that an agreement has been reached with Benfica club for the temporary transfer of professional footballer Joao Mario until the end of the 2024-25 season, along with a purchase option. We wish Joao Mario great success with our prestigious jersey and announce it to the public.

ANNOUNCED WITH RAFA SILVA AND GEDSON VIDEO

Beşiktaş shared a video for the Portuguese player, stating "Joao Mario has arrived. Welcome to Beşiktaş, Mario" and included the goal Gedson Fernandes scored against Lugano with an assist from Rafa Silva in the UEFA Europa League play-off round second leg match. At the end of the video, Mario meets Silva and Fernandes, with whom he played together for many years at Benfica and also came from the Portuguese team's youth academy.

WHO IS JOAO MARIO?

Joao Mario was born on January 19, 1993 in Porto. The left winger, known for his effective right foot and speed, reached a market value of 35 million euros in 2016. Starting his football career in the Porto youth academy, the player played for important teams such as Sporting Lisbon, Inter, West Ham, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Benfica. In the 2016-2017 season, the player, who transferred from Sporting Lisbon to Inter for a transfer fee of 44.78 million euros, made a name for himself.

PORTUGUESE CAREER STATS

In his Benfica career, the Portuguese player played in 149 matches and contributed with 36 goals and 26 assists. Mario, who played in 127 matches for Sporting Lisbon, produced 16 goals and 20 assists. The star footballer has played a total of 441 matches in his career, scoring 61 goals and providing 84 assists. Joao Mario played a total of 51 matches last season, contributing with 9 goals and 4 assists.