“I won’t regret joining Besiktas” – the astonishing figures behind Rafa Silva’s Türkiye move
Rafa Silva has completed his move from Benfica to Besiktas on a three-year contract, with the former Portugal international signing a lucrative deal in the Turkish capital on Thursday.
Out of contract at Benfica in July, Rafa had been linked with various clubs over recent weeks, fielding interest from fellow Super Lig giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, as well as clubs in the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
Besiktas confirmed they were in advanced talks with Rafa on Tuesday, before announcing the transfer in full on Thursday afternoon. According to the club statement, Rafa will earn a salary of €115,000 per week, plus a €10m bonus spread across his contract. In total, the contract is worth €28m.
“Now that I'm 31 years old, maybe if I could go back I would do everything [in my career] the same in the same way, I wouldn't change anything,” Rafa told the club’s media. “Because I would be here now and I won't regret moving here, I'm sure that in the coming years I'll say the same thing I'm saying now.
“I'm here because I want to win titles, help the team achieve the trophies it deserves and that's why I chose Besiktas. For me, it was easy to decide. When they made the offer, I already had the experience of having played here against Besiktas and the atmosphere, the fans are crazy about football, they love football and it was one of the main reasons why I signed with Besiktas.”
Rafa leaves Benfica after eight years with the Eagles, having made 326 appearances and scoring 94 goals. During his time at Estádio da Luz, the forward won three league titles, three Super Cups and one Portuguese Cup.
By @SeanGillen9