da 888casino： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
da roleta： According to The Daily Mirror, Manchester City are considering a swoop for Ruben Dias in the January transfer window.
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Pep Guardiola’s side are in the midst of a crisis at centre-back following the long-term injury suffered by France international Aymeric Laporte earlier this campaign. The Citizens lost iconic captain Vincent Kompany at the end of last season, and failed to bring in a replacement during the summer transfer window.
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Injuries have meant holding midfielder Fernandinho has had to fill in at centre-back, and the experiment hasn’t entirely been a success. Guardiola’s men lost their last Premier League game against Wolves 2-0, and now, The Daily Mirror claim City are considering a January bid for Benfica defender Dias.
The report adds the club will have to fend off competition from neighbours Manchester United, as well as suitors from abroad.
Lynchpin
Standing at 6 foot 1, Dias has been an ever-present for Benfica this season, playing every single minute in Liga NOS. The 22-year-old has helped the club register five clean sheets in seven league games, and has been a defensive rock at the heart of defence.
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The Benfica man has averaged 1.1 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in the Portuguese top-flight, but it is his passing numbers that truly make him a Guardiola-esque signing. He has averaged 67.3 passes per game, at an impressive accuracy of 88.7%. Dias looks comfortable with the ball at his feet, and for a City team insistent on playing out from the back, the 22-year-old would look well at home.
Whilst that would no doubt please the Etihad side’s boss, the City faithful will perhaps be more inclined to embrace his lack of kamikaze defending. Nicolas Otamendi has been a bundle of nerves all season, and has committed two errors leading to a shot or goal. Dias, on the other hand, has made none. The latter also makes less than half the fouls of the Argentine, and has proven to be a solid defender for Benfica.
After seeing Otamendi’s high-profile errors this season, it’s Dias reliability that makes a January swoop all the more appealing for the Citizens.