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Report: New manager orders his club not to sell alleged Wolves target despite Mendes’ influence

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Ruben Dias of SL Benfica celebrates the victory with supporters at the end of the Liga NOS match between SL Benfica and Belenenses SAD at Estadio da Luz on January 31, 2020 in Lisbon,… (Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Jorge Jesus has ordered Benfica not to sell reported Wolverhampton Wanderers target Ruben Dias after making an emotional return to the Estadio da Luz, according to Record.

Never one to keep his feelings to himself, the 65-year-old would have had a list of demands longer than Peter Crouch’s limbs when the Lisbon giants came calling for his services once again.

Jesus is back in the Benfica hotseat after leading Flamengo to an unprecedented treble during a short-lived but trophy-laden spell in Brazilian football.

Considering that the self-proclaimed best coach in planet earth appeared to initially have his heart set on another year at the Copa Libertadores winners, the Portuguese giants must have done something rather special to change the mind of a tactician who makes Jose Mourinho look like a soft touch.

According to Record, before taking over, Jesus demanded that Benfica resist any offers for two of their star players – 22-goal top scorer Carlos Vinicius and £80 million-rated centre-back Dias.

Considering that he has now signed on the dotted line, you would guess that Benfica agreed to cooperate.

This comes amid claims from BleacherReport that Wolves had identified the Portuguese international as the ideal candidate to further strengthen one of the Premier League’s most watertight back lines.

Portuguese football manager Jorge Mendes stands in front of the press during the release of the book ‘The Special Agent’ written by Miguel Cuesta and Jonathan Sanchez in Lisbon on February… (PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images)

Goal also reported recently that Jorge Mendes, the Iberian who has a huge influence over transfers at Molineux, was threatening to take Dias away from Benfica as he was concerned about the growing influence of two more super-agents, Giuliano Bertolucci and Kia Joorabchian, in the Portuguese capital.

Interestingly, Jesus has an excellent relationship with both Bertolucci and Joorabchian.

So, with he and Mendes seemingly on completely different pages regarding Dias’s future, things could soon get a little complicated.

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