A recent report on mlssoccer.com has linked Orlando City SC and Canadian international striker Cyle Larin to SL Benfica.
Larin's striking play
Larin has been everything that OCSC fans could have asked for in a goalscorer for the last season and a half.
The 21-year-old striker won Major League Soccer’s rookie of the year award last season after scoring an all-time high 17 goals in 27 league appearances for a rookie, according to foxsports.com.
The one criticism that could be made of Larin's play on the field last season was his lack of assists. After creating 0 goals last season, Larin has already picked himself up three assists this campaign with just under half the season still to play, according to whoscored.com.
As for his goalscoring tally, Larin has picked up right where he left off last season. The Lions forward has scored nine times in 18 appearances for Orlando City and several goals have come without OCSC's creative genius Kaka on the pitch.
To watch Larin's most recent goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 2-2 draw on July 16, check out the video below (Full Screen recommended) or follow the link here.
Impressing the Portuguese giants
According to Anthony Totera of the Red Card Radio show, Cyle Larin is now being linked with a transfer to Portugal's Benfica.
Below is a tweet from Totera releasing the link between Larin and Benfica.
The Portuguese side appears to have enough interest in the Canadian target forward to offer a multimillion-dollar offer in double figures. The fee for Larin's transfer is said to be around $10 million, according to MLS Transfers.
Where does Larin fit?
Although the deal is far from finalized, the questions surrounding where Larin would fit in at Benfica and Larin's playing time across the pond are difficult to assess.
Benfica is the current champions of the Primeira Liga and is a regular participating team in the UEFA Champions League. Playing time and experience in these competitions could prove to be invaluable for Larin's development as he would be playing in a more talented league than the MLS and a highly prestigious competition in the UCL.
However, Larin has to be on the pitch in order to further his development. At just 21, Larin's ceiling is high and still has the potential to grow, but he could find it tough to get into the starting 11.
Benfica currently has one of the most in-form strikers in Europe in Jonas. The Brazilian international netted 32 goals in 33 appearances in the Primera Liga, according to whoscored.com, and has a playing style similar to that of Larin.
Lacking blistering pace, Jonas will often play a role similar to that of a poaching center forward. Jonas gets himself into dangerous areas in and around the penalty area and finishes any ball that comes his way. At 5-foot-11, the Brazilian also has the ability to score with his head, making himself even more difficult to defend.
Benfica also has other talented forwards like Greek international Kostas Mitroglou, another towering poacher who scored 19 times last season for Benfica, according to whoscored.com, and the agile and pacey Mexican Raul Jimenez.
However, the move could still be a positive one for Larin with both Jonas, 32, and Mitroglou, 28, aging, and ultimately, Larin has the current ability and potential to possibly find a place in the starting lineup.