According to A Bola, Marco Silva was preventing Lukebakio's transfer to Sunderland because he understood that he did not have another winger in the squad with the same characteristics. Fifteen days earlier, Silva had criticized Lukebakio for an unnecessary offside following the 7-0 victory over Casa Pia.

Dodi Lukebakio was close to joining Sunderland but will remain in the Benfica squad. Journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports that Benfica's management decided to keep the player, even though the English club was willing to pay approximately 20 million euros for his transfer.

According to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie, Sunderland are attempting to sign both Malick Fofana and Benfica player Dodi Lukebakio. The club has booked a private jet to fly Lukebakio into the UK.

Sunderland began to target Benfica's 28-year-old winger Dodi Lukebakio because of fears they would fail to sign his fellow Belgian Malick Fofana. Both Sunderland and Crystal Palace had £30m offers for the Lyon winger accepted, creating uncertainty over his next club. The Belgian international, who has 33 caps and 6 goals for his country, joined Benfica in September 2025 and is under contract until 2030. Other clubs linked with a move include Beşiktaş, Monaco, and Trabzonspor. In August 2026, reports indicated Beşiktaş was willing to pay around €20 million, while Benfica reportedly demanded €30 million from Trabzonspor. Lukebakio moved to the Portuguese club from Sevilla in September 2025 for a reported €20 million plus €4 million in add-ons.