Manchester United target Axel Witsel is not for sale, Portugese side Benfica have claimed.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for the 23-year-old after reports from Portugal last week claimed that Benfica coach Jorge Jesus was ready to cash in on the Belgium international after just having the player for one season with the club.
“Witsel is training for pre-season at Benfica,” the club’s sporting director Rui Costa said at the launch of Benfica’s Euesbio Cup pre-season tournament.
“We’re just thinking about the tournament and not about the transfer market.
“All the players are in training and are Benfica players and at the moment there are no negotiations.”
Benfica are due to play Real Madrid in the tournament later this month. The Spanish giants have also been linked with Witsel but their director of international relations, Emilio Butragueno, who was also at the event, skirted round the issue of Witsel saying: “We’re not here to talk about transfers.”
Benfica signed Witsel from Standard Liege last summer in a deal worth £6.4million but reports have suggested that the Portugese side would listen to offers in the region of £20million.
The Lisbon club were also reported to be replacing Witsel with United midfielder Anderson, should he leave.
