Transfer to Portugal - Best leaves Heidenheim and joins Benfica Lisbon
Midfielder Jan-Niklas Beste leaves 1. FC Heidenheim after two years again. The 25-year-old is switching, according to dpa information, from the Bundesliga team to Portuguese top club Benfica Lisbon and will play there under German coach Roger Schmidt in the future. Previously, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had reported on the upcoming transfer. On the platform X, Romano explained that Beste had already undergone a medical check-up in Lisbon and would sign a contract with the vice champion until 2029.
The transfer fee was initially unknown. Beste's contract in Heidenheim was still valid until 30. June 2025, his market value is estimated at around 15 million Euro.
With his departure, Heidenheim, which for the first time in the club's history made it to the Bundesliga and will start in the playoffs for the Conference League in the summer, loses another performance player. Striker Tim Kleindienst recently joined Borussia Monchengladbach, the loaned-out striker Eren Dinkci signed for SC Freiburg and thus also for a league rival.
The goalscoring Beste has been playing for Heidenheim since the summer of 2022 and contributed significantly to the promotion with his performances. He was also one of the top players in the team of coach Frank Schmidt last season. This brought him an invitation from national coach Julian Nagelsmann to the March games against France and the Netherlands. However, Beste had to withdraw shortly before the matches due to an injury.
- The transfer of Jan-Niklas Beste to Benfica Lisbon marks a significant move for the international soccer scene, as the Portuguese top club will benefit from the talent of a German coach, Roger Schmidt.
- This transfer news has been a topic of discussion in the soccer community, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano breaking the news early on his platform X.
- Baden-Württemberg-based club FC Heidenheim is set to lose another key player, with Beste preparing to depart for Portugal's Lisbon after a successful two-year stint in the Bundesliga.
- Beste, who was a crucial part of Heidenheim's team under Frank Schmidt and contributed significantly to their Bundesliga promotion, will now join forces with Benfica Lisbon, who finished as the vice champion in Portugal.
- The transfer fee for Beste's move to Lisbon has yet to be disclosed, but with his contract still valid in Heidenheim until 2025 and a market value estimated around 15 million Euro, he is set to make a big impact in Portugal.
- The departures of Beste, Kleindienst, and Dinkci have left a void in Heidenheim's squad, particularly in the attack, as they prepare for the playoffs for the Conference League in the summer.
- Germany's top-flight Bundesliga will miss the services of Beste next season, but Benfica Lisbon fans and supporters in Portugal are eagerly looking forward to witnessing his skills and contributions on the field.
