SL Benfica tonight officially announced the departure of 23-year-old central defender Rúben Dias. The Portuguese international joins Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for an initial €68 million, with another €3.6 million in performance-based add-ons.
The Seixal product all but confirmed his departure last night both in his goal celebration and his words in a post-match interview. Dias wore the captain’s armband for the night, a symbolic moment before his departure, and hugged sporting director Manuel Rui Costa both after his goal and at full-time.
Dias made 137 appearances for SL Benfica after coming through the club’s famed Seixal academy. It was initially thought that the deal for Dias would include Nicolas Otaméndi going the other way, but that is not the case. Ótamendi has moved to Benfica, however, the two transfers are financially separate. Benfica released a statement around the same time confirming the arrival of the Argentinian defender for a fee of €15 million.
Aaron Barton | @AaronBartonUk |
