With Benfica holding a General Assembly on Friday evening, we can all guess that Ruben Dias’ potential transfer to Manchester City was one of the most discussed topics.
The defender is reportedly moving to the Premier League side in a deal which will cost up-to €65m including bonuses, while Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi is going the other way.
Just a few hours ago, we explained how part of the Portuguese media has been claiming it’s a great deal for Benfica. TVI24 not only said that the initial €50m is a great amount for a defender, they also took Otamendi’s value to say this deal is worth €80m for the Eagles.
But not everyone is happy with the move. As elections for a new president approach, two candidates have spoken during the assembly, and both criticised the way Luis Filipe Vieira has been dealing with sales.
“We continue to let our talents go and seek talents from other clubs,” said Francisco Benitez (via Record). “Our proposal is to retain talents and play in the team for two or three seasons. This direction says that they retain talents but at the first opportunity or when it’s necessary they sell the famous pearls.”
Candidate Noronha Lopes said something similar (via O Jogo): “A year ago, the president said that there were 15 players from the academy who could start and could be champions. Right now, the only one is Ruben Dias and we are facing yet another contradiction, a clear disorientation in the club’s sports policy, which has already been reflected in the lost championships in recent years and in being removed from the Champions League this season.”
