Manchester City has announced the signing of Portuguese defender Ruben Dias from Benfica in a £64.3million move.
The 23-year-old who had his medical in Lisbon signed a six-year contract, which saw Nicolas Otamendi moved to Benfica for £13.7m as part of the deal.
‘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.’
After failing to replace Vincent Kompany last year, City 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.’
Dias, who becomes City’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Nathan Ake and Ferran Torres, will wear the No 3 shirt.
