By Melody Gross 
Águias and Chapecoense have stepped up contacts and will have reached an understanding on the transfer of the 17-year-old centre-back.
Thiago Kozer, a 17-year-old from Chapecoense, is on his way to join the red team at the beginning of next year, when he will complete his adulthood and, therefore, is already allowed to sign by the Eagles.
As O JOGO already explained in the last October 23 issue, Coser is a target for Benfica, having made contacts at the time, which have since intensified. Now, the young entrepreneur asserts, the process is moving forward, towards a bond through 2027.
O JOGO André Cury confirmed that “Benfica and Chapecoense are already talking directly and what is on the table is a long-term contract for the player”, with the central defender’s representative also assuming that “the expectation is that Tiago will travel to Lisbon, to join Benfica, at the beginning of January, When he turns 18.” That is around the sixteenth of this month.
The final amount of the transfer is still subject to official confirmation, indicating a value of between €1m and €1.5m, with Chapecoense receiving 80 per cent of Thiago Kozer’s pass. Moreover, Benfica’s plan for the young defender is very similar to that of Morato, when he arrived in Portugal from São Paulo: in the first stage Kozer will join the second team and will be able to play for the juniors of the Reds, thus achieving a period of adaptation to the country and the club.
Despite turning 17, Kozer has already made his debut in Chapecoense’s starting line-up this season and lined up for 16 minutes in Brasileirao, against Flamengo, but he was often an option for the Under-20 team. There he scored two goals in nine matches.