Manchester City announce £64m signing of Ruben Dias from Benfica on a six-year contract… as centre back insists he will bring aggression to Pep Guardiola’s backline after their humiliating Leicester defeat
- Ruben Dias is in line to make his Manchester City debut over the coming week
- The Portuguese defender has promised to bring aggression to City’s backline
- He completed his medical in Lisbon before putting pen to paper on six-year deal
- Nicolas Otamendi will head the other way to Benfica in a deal worth £13.7million
- Pep Guardiola has moved quickly to add to his defence after Leicester mauling
Ruben Dias promised to bring aggression to Manchester City‘s defence after completing a £64.3million move from Benfica.
The 23-year-old is in line to make his debut over the coming week after undergoing a medical in Lisbon before signing a six-year contract. Nicolas Otamendi has moved to Benfica for £13.7m as part of the deal.
Dias is a no-nonsense centre half, the sort of which that Pep Guardiola hopes will offer an additional presence to a back four that shipped five goals during Sunday’s capitulation against Leicester City.
Ruben Dias can’t wait to get started at Manchester City after his £64million move from Benfica
The no-nonsense Portuguese defender put pen to paper on a six-year contract at the Etihad
‘I am a player that loves to win, a player for the team, for the fans, a player that loves this family spirit which I am feeling a lot since I have been here,’ Dias said.
‘I am an aggressive player and I love what I do. I love the game and without getting into too much detail, because it is something you will see when I start playing, the most important thing to say is I love to win and that is the thing you most need to know about me.
‘I am expecting the Premier League to be the reason why I wanted to be a football player. To have that feeling when I am on the field, when my arms get goosebumps.
‘That is it, that feeling, you cannot even put it into words. For me, the Premier League means all of that and to be able to play in the Premier League at a top club like City, it doesn’t get much bigger than that.’
Dias is in line to make his debut for the Premier League giants over the coming week
The defender was pictured at the Lowry Hotel on Tuesday ahead of his move to City
Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi has moved the other way to Benfica in a £13.7m deal
City failed to replace Vincent Kompany last year and sporting director Txiki Begiristain revealed that the club are expecting Dias to take leadership responsibility.
‘Ruben is a player we have admired for some time and we have been impressed with how he has progressed at Benfica,’ Begiristain said.
‘He has developed into a real leader and as a defender, he has all the attributes we are looking for. He is strong in the air, good in one v one situations and technically, he is very good, so we are confident he can thrive in our system.
‘He is young but has gained valuable experience at a big European club in Benfica and we’re really pleased we’ve been able to sign him. He is another talented addition to the squad and someone who is only going to get better working under Pep.’
Pep Guardiola has moved quickly in the market after City’s shock 5-2 defeat against Leicester