According to Globo.com, Jonathan Jesus received an inquiry from Benfica since the transfer window opened. Cruzeiro rejected the approach and is asking for €20 million (R$ 120 million) to negotiate for the player. The amount is double what was offered by Zenit in December, when the board considered the sale.

According to Globo.com, Benfica is one of several clubs from major European centers that have shown interest in Jonathan Jesus this season and have promised to make offers.

A Bola reports that Benfica is interested in Jonathan Jesus and that conversations with the player's agents occurred this past Monday. Benfica likes Jonathan Jesus, but Cruzeiro does not want to sell him. Any potential deal would necessitate a fee of approximately €20 million. The Benfica SAD is reportedly unwilling to offer that amount. Investing in negotiations for Jonathan Jesus would also delay acquiring a central defender, which is an urgent need at Luz.

Jonathan Jesus, a 22-year-old Brazilian central defender at Cruzeiro, is reportedly being monitored by Portuguese club Benfica and Russian team Zenit. Negotiations are in progress, and the representative for Jesus has been seen in Lisbon. Cruzeiro considers the player to be a key part of their team and is not willing to sell him for less than €20 million, though a deal could potentially include another player to facilitate the transfer. Jesus joined Cruzeiro in July 2024 for a transfer fee reported as €1.4 million and holds a contract until June 2029. He has made 13 appearances in the current domestic league season. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is estimated at €8.00m. In July 2026, it was reported that Real Sociedad made a firm offer of €15 million. Zenit also had previous offers, valued up to €10 million, which were rejected in January 2026.