We were all caught by surprise this afternoon with claims from the Portuguese media saying Ruben Dias is on his way to Manchester City.
Porto Canal, O Jogo and Record all reported that the defender is moving to the Premier League in a deal which should include Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi. The English side are also expected to pay a fee of between €50m and €55m for the transfer.
Even though Dias hadn’t been heavily linked to Manchester City, there was some expectation from the Lisbon media that he’d be sold this summer. That’s because he’s one of Benfica’s biggest stars, and the club are in need of money as they were eliminated from the Champions League playoffs.
In a press conference this afternoon, manager Jorge Jesus was asked about Ruben Dias’ possible departure, and admitted that he could be on his way out, despite the player’s importance.
“Then there are important players like Ruben Dias. He’s one of the starters of the team, made at the Academia do Seixal and the only starter from the Portuguese international who plays at Benfica – at a team like Benfica, just having a starter in the national team means something.
“He’s a player with a lot of value and is important in that sector that, at the moment, only has three options because we have not yet signed the defender we want. He’s essential in the team. But at Benfica I was used to the best being signed, it’s nothing new. If you start with Ruben Dias… if you ask me if I’d like (that he left), I wouldn’t like it. But if the financial factor is important for the club, we have to understand. Managers must be prepared for this.”
The press conference was held just a few minutes before the Manchester City transfer was reported by the local media.
