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The goalkeeper of the Portugal national team, Simao, has extended his contract with the Lisbon club. The 27-year-old footballer has agreed to remain at "Estadio da Luz" until the summer of 2011 by extending his contract for another four years.
Benfica has been in negotiations with Simao for a long time regarding a possible transfer, but a deal with the Spanish "Primera" league club Valencia last summer did not materialize.
The star of the Lisbon team has been surrounded by various speculations for quite some time, and powerful English clubs such as Liverpool, Man Utd, and Chelsea showed great interest in the goalkeeper.
Despite the fact that the former Barcelona player has extended his contract with Benfica, he is linked to a move to another team next summer, and club president Luis Felipe Vieira confirmed that Simao's buyout clause is set at 20 million euros (£13.5 million).
"These are the only numbers that could be discussed regarding the sale of Benfica's team captain," L.F.Vieira told the Portuguese media.
This season, Benfica is in second place in the Portuguese league standings, trailing the leader FC Porto by just one point.
