Azar Karadas is now in Lissabon, and will sign a three year contract with Benfica Thursday. Rosenborg Sports Director Rune Bratseth defends the sale from both an economic point of view and as a sports issue.

Early Wednesday, Rosenborg and Benfica agreed on a transfer sum of about ?1.75 million for the 22-year old. Hours later, Laradas agreed with the Portuguese on his personal contract, a three-year deal worth ?2 million for the player.

Rosenborg did not really want to sell any players before the busy autumn season ahead, but the offer from Benfica was good plus the fact that Karadas himself has been grumbling some due to little playing time.

"Azar got a chance to play abroad, and that is something he has wished for a while. We had no wish to get rid of players, but on the other hand, we don't get many opportunities to sell. The market is all dry, and we need to get some players sold now and then," Bratseth says to Norwegian broadcaster TV3.

Azar Karadas travelled south to Portugal Wednesday evening. Thursday, he is to pass the medical test.

"I haven't been injured in years, so that will cause no problems," Karadas says to Norwegian Internet daily Nettavisen.

The lad from Nordfjord, Norway, has already been told by new Benfica coach Giovanni Trapattoni that he will get to play as central forward - the position of his choice.

"I have some knowledge of the team and the players, tough I don't know anyone in the club. But they do have a new coach, so this is going to be exciting," Karadas, that ended on 90 played games for Rosenborg, says.

SK Brann Bergen will receive parts of the sum from the Karadas sale, something that was stated in the deal from 2002 when the player changed club.