Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly want to bring Benfica’s Nations League champion Ruben Dias to the Premier League.
A brilliant young centre-back was the best player on the pitch during the inaugural UEFA Nations League final between Holland and Portugal in June.
But it wasn’t Juventus’ new £68 million signing Matthijs de Ligt. Instead, Ruben Dias of Benfica showed that he too deserves to stand alongside the former Ajax captain as one of the most talented defensive prospects anywhere in world football.
Dias may be three years older at 22 but he, like De Ligt, is just getting started despite achieving plenty already in his short career. He has made 85 appearances for the Lisbon giants to date, winning one Primeira Liga title and earning 11 caps for his country.
And it’s a sign of how far Wolverhampton Wanderers have come in the last three years that, according to the Express and Star, Dias could be the latest Jorge Mendes client who pulls on that famous amber shirt.
Dias has a £57 million release clause in his contract but, based on those faultless 90 minutes in Porto, he could be worth every single penny.
The Amadora-born stopper was in superb form as Portugal beat Holland 1-0 on home soil, keeping Memphis Depay, Steven Bergwijn and co at arms length with a performance epitomised by perfectly timed tackles and superb positioning.
Goncalo Guedes might have scored the game’s only goal, slamming home from a Cristiano Ronaldo pass, but it was Dias who truly provided the platform for a historic triumph.
Not many defenders have outshone De Ligt in 2019 but Dias proved without doubt that he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.
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