Circati to leave Parma for Benfica in €20m deal
BERGAMO, ITALY - JANUARY 25: Alessandro Circati of Parma Calcio 1913 and Nicola Zalewski of Atalanta battle for possession during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Parma Calcio 1913 at Gewiss Stadium on January 25, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Benfica have reached an agreement with Parma to sign Alessandro Circati, with the Portuguese club paying around €20m for the Australian centre-back.
According to Sky Sport, personal terms with Circati were already in place before the two clubs settled on a fee, clearing the way for his move to Lisbon.
The 22-year-old, who also featured at this summer’s World Cup with Australia, is set to leave the club where he came through the youth ranks and made his first-team debut back in 2022.
Circati shines from Serie B promotion to Socceroos captain
Nicknamed “Il Muro” (The Wall) by Parma supporters for his defending, Circati helped the club win promotion to Serie A in 2024 and established himself as one of their most important players last season, making 33 appearances across all competitions.
Born in Fidenza but raised in Perth from the age of one, he chose to represent Australia over Italy, going on to captain the Socceroos and become their youngest skipper since 1981.
His performances at the World Cup drew interest from several major European clubs, though it’s Benfica who have now moved fastest to get a deal over the line.
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