Benfica announce £65m Dias Man City deal
Manchester City have agreed a £65m deal to sign defender Ruben Dias, Benfica have announced, with Nicolas Otamendi moving in the opposite direction.
The deal for Dias is worth an initial £62m, with a further £3m subject to add-ons, and was confirmed in a statement from Benfica on Sunday night following City’s 5-2 defeat at home to Leicester.
“He’s a player we’re sorry to see go, he came through the academy, is our captain and plays for the national team. I also take some of the blame for him leaving today.
“This is also to do with getting knocked out of the Champions League and there are things that need to be balanced (financially) at management level. He has a high market value and is certainly already a fantastic player who will continue to improve.”
Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly had been City’s top target but his valuation has remained out of reach so far, while Sevilla’s Jules Kounde also emerged as one of their preferred options.
City have denied placing a £78m bid for Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez, after the La Liga club’s president claimed he had rejected an offer for the central defender.
Source: Sky Sports