Defeated against, new signing in defense. Manchester City reacted instantly, in a matter of hours, after this weekend's 2-5 win against Leicester. Although the negotiations were already advanced by Ruben Dias of Benfica, the agreement was confirmed shortly after the match ended. It's official now. As AS announced, the 23-year-old Portuguese center-back becomes, in exchange for 68 million plus another 3 in variables, the last defense that the English club has signed, a constant since the arrival of Pep Guardiola.
Although Koundé or Koulibaly sounded, the chosen one is Ruben Dias, who joins Nathan Aké (45 million) as defensive signings this summer. After four years in England, Pep Guardiola's spending on his defense reaches almost 500 million. Specifically, 480 million euros to reinforce a line that continues to be the cause of most of the problems that Manchester City has.
It is curious that such a high number also includes transfers on transfers: that is, reinforcements for transfers that did not work. This is the case of Danilo, who cost 30 million in his day and was later replaced by Cancelo, for which they paid 65 (Juventus paid another 30 for Danilo). A similar case is that of Otamendi, who arrived before Guardiola, but which has been used to lower the price of Ruben Dias' operation, since the Argentine central defender makes the reverse path to Benfica in exchange for 15 million.
Without going any further, another one who has been sought out during the summer is Stones, who cost 55 million three years ago, while the only center-back who has established himself in the center of the rear is Aymeric Laporte, who came from Athletic Club. for 65 million. His teammates have been as diverse as Fernandinho, a midfielder, or a youth squad like Eric García, who ends his contract in 12 months and wants to return to Barcelona.
On the sides there has also been movement. To the aforementioned Cancelo and Danilo we must add the purchases of Mendy (57 million) and Walker (53), who begin their fourth season in Manchester. But they are not the only ones, since Angeliño made a round trip between PSV and RB Leipzig, for 12 million, while there are several cases of footballers whose presence has been testimonial, or even null., for being strategic signings of the City Football Group: Yan Couto (6), Pedro Porro (12), Sandler (2.5) or Pablo Marí (0.2).