Raul de Tomas swaps Real Madrid for Benfica

Primeira Liga holder Benfica signed Raul de Tomas on a five-year contract, with a EUR 100 million release clause.

Benfica recruit Raul de Tomas.

Benfica signed forward Raul de Tomas from La Liga giant Real Madrid for EUR 20 million, it was announced on Wednesday.

After selling teenage sensation Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid in a EUR 126m deal midweek, Primeira Liga holder Benfica turned to De Tomas on a five-year contract with a EUR 100m release clause.

De Tomas emerged from Madrid's youth team but never made a senior appearance — the 24-year-old enjoying loan spells with Cordoba, Real Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano in Spain. "I'm very happy to be here. After all, it was a goal I had, to make a leap in my career and this was the best leap I could make. I am at the big club, for me it is the best club in Portugal and I'm really looking forward to getting started," De Tomas told

BTV .

"I want to do my job and score goals, which is what I do best. I've been a goalscorer since I was a kid and I hope I can score a lot of goals with this jersey and that the team can win titles."

De Tomas spent the past two seasons on loan at Vallecano, where he scored a combined 38 league goals and 14 in La Liga last term following its promotion. "May we win the Championship again and do a good job in the Champions League," De Tomas added.

"I feel like it's going to be a very positive year. I'm aware that it's hard to win a competitive league, and also because of that there is great merit in Benfica's work last season."