New Blues signing Florentino Luis says the club’s long-term thinking was one of the main reasons he chose to move to Portman Road.

Yesterday, the club confirmed that the midfielder had joined on a five-year deal from Burnley for an initial £16 million plus a further £3 million in add-ons.

Florentino, Town’s seventh signing of the window, nine if Cedric Kipre and and Chuba Akpom’s loan deals being made permanent are included, had been close to joining another of the newly promoted clubs, Hull City, on loan until the Blues swooped.

The 26-year-old, who joined Burnley on loan last summer before his switch was made permanent due to an obligation earlier in the close season for £20.6 million, says Town’s aspirations for the years ahead were among the factors which sold the move to him.

“The way that they are seeing the future,” he told TownTV when asked why he opted for a move to Suffolk. “OK, at the present, there are a lot of good things with players, but the way that they are thinking long-term is one of the main things that’s made me to come here.”

Florentino believes playing in Portugal with Benfica, France on loan at Monaco, in Spain with Getafe on another loan spell and then last season in England with Burnley will be a benefit to the Blues in the season ahead.

“I think I have a bit of experience because I’ve played some places in Europe, in the Champions League [with Benfica], so I can give that this to the team,” he continued.

“I can give balance because I play in the position where I’m between the defence and attack, and I like to bring that connection.”

In addition to club football, Florentino played at U15, U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 levels for Portugal, his family having moved there from Angola when he was a child.

He was part of the squads which won the European Championship at U17 and U19 levels in 2016 and 2018 respectively. In 2021, the U21s were runners-up at their European finals.

“Winning titles with the youths, brought to me the mentality of winning every time,” he reflected. “And it’s good because my desire every day is to improve, to get a better player.

“I think that’s me as a player, I can every time develop a bit more and it is my desire to do so when I’m here, and I want to give this to my teammates.

“Of course, there are some players that have more experience than me and I want to learn from them as well.”

He made his senior Benfica debut in February 2019, aged 19, a proud moment having been with the club for some years prior to that and having watched them from the terraces as a child.

“It was, a dream come through because I went to Benfica in 2011, if I’m not wrong, and I grew up seeing the games in the stadium like a supporter,” he recalled.

“When I made my debut, it was like a dream to me, to my family, because it’s my club and to be in this team in such big stadium with very good supporters, was good because I had the platform to perform at the highest level.”

He says he learnt a lot in more than 100 games for Benfica prior to his departure for Burnley, initially on loan, last summer.

“That brings to me that I need to be ready every time,” he continued. “I need to give 100 per cent every time because otherwise it is difficult to compete against the opponents.

“But here, I think it is the same, it is quite the same, because it’s the level where every player wants to be and what I live in the past, for sure, is helping me now in the present.”

He says that experience of playing in Portugal, France and Spain helps him on and off the pitch.

“Not just on the field but off the field as well,” he said. “The connection that I get with the guys, because football, for me, is a lot about connections - when the players are connected, you can play much, much better.

“And when I was in some different culture like Spain and France, these gave to me experience and it is very good now because here in England, I can understand the guys a bit more and I can play my game in the easy way.”

Reflecting on what he learned in his first season in the Premier League with the Clarets, who ended up relegated, he added: “That it is another level. Before I came here, every time I was hearing that the Premier League is a very good level, but when you start to play against the teams here, you can see that the level is the highest in Europe and in the world, the best league. This gives a sense of responsibility to be prepared every time to win the games.”

His move having been completed yesterday, Florentino was looking forward to getting to know his new teammates.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “I’m just waiting to meet with the guys, with the supporters and, hopefully, it will be very good here.”

Photo: ITFC