Santos reportedly signs Argentine Champions League forward to team up with Neymar
Santos has made waves in the transfer market by re-signing Neymar after the star’s contract with Al Hilal was terminated. Now, with Neymar back in the squad, the Brazilian club has reportedly added an Argentine UEFA Champions League forward to partner with him up front.
After recently earning promotion back to Brazil’s top division, the club’s executives are focused on strengthening the squad, with Neymar positioned as the main star to help restore Santos to its former glory. With the winter transfer window open until February 28th, Santos appears to have found the perfect partner for Neymar.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Santos has secured the signing of Argentine winger Benjamín Rollheiser. The club will pay €11M to Benfica for 85% of the player’s rights, with Rollheiser set to travel to Sao Paulo to finalize the deal, which will keep him at the club until December 2028.
After joining Benfica in the summer of 2024 from Estudiantes de La Plata for €9.5M, the 24-year-old struggled for minutes in the first team, competing with Angel Di María for the right-wing position. Rollheiser managed just 369 minutes over 18 games (averaging 20.5 minutes per game) and appeared in 6 Champions League matches, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist.
As a special request from head coach Pedro Caixinha, Rollheiser will become the fifth player on the roster with Champions League experience, joining Neymar, Tiquinho Soares, Gabriel Veron, and Tomas Rincon. With this European pedigree, Santos aims high for a strong rebuild ahead of the 2025 season.
Santos’ plans to bolster the squad
With Rollheiser’s signing reportedly closing, Santos continues to pursue other targets to strengthen the squad and provide Neymar with the right players to maximize his potential.
In February, Santos officially announced the loan signing of former FC Cincinnati midfielder Alvaro Barreal for the 2025 season, with an option to buy 85% of the player for $4M.
Furthermore, GOAL Brasil recently reported that Santos is keen on re-signing winger Bruno Henrique from Flamengo. The Brazilian, who played for Santos between 2017 and 2019, has seen reduced playing time under new coach Filipe Luis. A move back to Santos is increasingly likely if the club pushes for him.