Manchester City have reached an agreement to sign Ruben Dias for approximately £64m in the coming days, as Pep Guardiola seeks to finalise his defensive rebuild.
The development was announced by Benfica, from whom Dias is expected to arrive in an arrangement that will see Nicolas Otamendi end his five-year City career and move in the opposite direction.
The 23-year-old centre-half appeared to bid farewell to Benfica after scoring in their 2-0 home win over Moreirense on Saturday night.
“I am very happy, of course,” he said. “It was very important for me to be able to score with a goal. It is a special moment. I think people already understand why.”
A right-footed centre-half has been City's priority in this transfer window, though negotiations with Napoli for their first-choice target Kalidou Koulibaly broke down.
City also persued Sevilla's Jules Koundé but have settled on Dias, who has played 19 times for Portugal and was linked with a move to the Etihad since late 2018.
The signing will follow an emphatic 5-2 home defeat against Leicester City - the first time in Guardiola's career that a side of his has conceded five goals in one game.
Dias will join left-footed centre-half Nathan Aké, who joined for £41m from Bournemouth, and winger Ferran Torres as a new arrival at the Etihad.
