According to Czech media, Benfica is interested in signing Stepán Chaloupek, a 23-year-old central defender from Slavia Prague. The Czech international has six caps and has also reportedly attracted attention from other European clubs, including Hull City and Ipswich Town from England, Roma and Inter from Italy, and Hamburg from Germany. Benfica is preparing a proposal of approximately €12 million. This amount is expected to be insufficient, as Slavia Prague intends to obtain a higher transfer fee. Slavia's coach, Jindrich Trpisovsky, publicly commented on the situation. He expressed the view that another season at the club would benefit the player's development into a leader and prevent a premature departure similar to David Jurásek's. However, the coach also conceded that it would be impossible to refuse if an offer from Benfica were made. Chaloupek joined Slavia Prague in July 2024 and is under contract until 2030. His current Transfermarkt market value is €10 million.