Jorge Mendes admits it will be hard for Benfica to keep hold of Carlos Vinicius

Portuguese superagent Jorge Mendes has made it clear that the sensational form of Brazilian striker Carlos Vinicius means a move could very much be on the cards sooner rather than later.

Vinicius, 24, has been scoring for fun since joining Benfica for £17million last summer, be that as a starter or on off the bench late on.

In total, he has 9 Primeira Liga goals this season in 11 outings - and is averaging a goal every 42 minutes in the Primeira Liga campaign, an extraordinary statistic which hammers home the impact Vinicius has made since joining from Napoli in August.

Even across all competitions, his his 14 goals in 18 matches means he’s averaging a goal every 60 minutes - and that’s not taking into account the handful of assists he has already this campaign too.

He has thrived back in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, having performed to a similar standard when on the books of Rio Ave at the start of last season, and it is no surprise that rumours of his departure from the Lisbon club for a healthy profit are already making the rounds.

Fuel has only been added to the fire after the recent comments of Jorge Mendes, who became the agent of Vinicius last month, who has not attempted to hide the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to see Vinicius remain a Benfica player for much longer.

A move in January could even be on the cards, with it believed that club president Luis Filipe Vieira willing to let the talented striker leave should the finances in the deal prove acceptable.

Vinicius currently has a release clause of 100 million euros. Whether Benfica will be holding out for a bid of that level remains to be seen, though one thing is for sure: Vinicius will not be short of potential suitors.

It can be remembered that Wolverhampton Wanderers came incredibly close to signing Vinicius last summer, but his inability to obtain a work permit meant that the deal ultimately fell through.