Best in the Champions League
Benfica Lisbon uses 1. FC Heidenheim
11.07.2024, 21:43
Midfielder Jan-Niklas Beste from 1. FC Heidenheim is set to sign a five-year contract with Benfica Lisbon. He is not the only key player that FCH is losing. However, the small Bundesliga club will probably receive a hefty transfer fee for Beste.
Midfielder Jan-Niklas Beste is leaving 1. FC Heidenheim after two years. According to dpa information, the 25-year-old is moving from the Bundesliga club to the Portuguese top club Benfica Lisbon, where he will play under German coach Roger Schmidt. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had previously reported on the upcoming transfer. On the platform X, Romano explained that Beste had already been to Lisbon for a medical check and would sign a contract with the runner-up until 2029.
The amount of the transfer fee was not initially disclosed. Beste’s contract in Heidenheim was valid until June 30, 2025, and his market value is estimated at around 15 million euros.
With his departure, FCH, which was promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history in 2023 and will start in the playoffs for the Conference League in the summer, loses another key player. Goalscorer Tim Kleindienst recently moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, while striker Eren Dinkci, on loan from Werder Bremen, joined SC Freiburg, also a league competitor.
Beste, who is also a goal threat, has played for Heidenheim since the summer of 2022 and contributed significantly to the team’s promotion with his performances. He was also one of the top players in coach Frank Schmidt’s team last season. This also earned him an invitation from national coach Julian Nagelsmann to the international matches in March against France and the Netherlands. Shortly before the matches, however, Beste had to leave again due to an injury.