Benfica eye Real trio

Benfica are believed to have lined up Real trio Julio Cesar, Elvir Balic and Samuel Eto'o for the new Portuguese league campaign.

Reports in local sports daily A Bola are claiming that the chairman of the Lisbon club, Manuel Vilarinho, has targeted the three players to challenge new champions Boavista for the league title.

Central defender Julio Cesar was loaned to Real Sociedad earlier this season but what isn't clear is whether Txuri Urdin chief John Toshack wants to hang on to Cesar or whether Real want the player to return.

Meanwhile, bringing strikers Baljic and Eto'o to Portugal will be far more complicated. Baljic has spent the last year on loan to Fenerbahce and is eyeing a return to the Bernabeu, but Real may consider selling the Bosnian frontman to Real Sociedad if the Basques manage to meet the $US 21m asking price.

Eto'o, meanwhile, has enjoyed a glittering season at Mallorca but now that his loan spell is at an end, the offers have been flooding in.

The player is set to return to Real who are expected sell him on making a handsome profit in the process. Atletico Madrid and Mallorca are two of the many clubs interested in signing the player.

The Madrilenos, however, may be open to loaning out more members of their squad next season.

Esteban Cambiasso and Fernando Lopez, currently on loan to Independiente and Valladolid respectively, may enter into a deal with Benfica at the end of the month.