Benfica confirm Otamendi exit, River already bid: details | OneFootball

The Nicolás Otamendi and River saga added a hugely important chapter as the story heads toward its conclusion. Benfica, the defender’s club, confirmed his departure as a free agent after the Argentine decided that, after six years with the Portuguese side, he will not renew his contract, which expires next June 30. River, who have been monitoring the situation for months, offered the world champion a one-and-a-half-year deal and are awaiting a response once the Club World Cup ends, though they are confident it will be a positive one.

“Otamendi was always an example of passion, dedication, competitiveness, leadership, and professionalism, contributing decisively to the winning of four titles. You will always be part of our family, and this will always be your home. Thank you, captain,” reads the statement from the Portuguese club bidding farewell to the General.

It is worth noting that Otamendi’s departure comes solely by the player’s own choice, as he had a good year in which he was indispensable for José Mourinho, playing 46 matches this season, being directly involved in seven goals, and lifting the Portuguese Super Cup. In total, he wore Benfica’s red shirt 281 times and scored on 18 occasions.

In addition, Mourinho himself confirmed that they tried to keep him, but respected the defender’s wishes: “There are people who have earned the right to choose their future because of everything they have built in football, and Otamendi is one of them. Whether he returns to Argentina and River Plate or stays at Benfica will be his decision. Everything is in his hands.”

The team managed by Eduardo Coudet was not the only one interested in the former Vélez player’s services, as he also had offers to play for Valencia and in Saudi Arabian football. Otamendi’s dream of wearing River’s red diagonal sash across his chest appears to weigh more heavily than Saudi money and would tip the scales.

In this way, River would add a fifth world champion to its squad, and Argentine football would reach a total of seven, while on the other side of the divide they are dreaming that Paulo Dybala will be the eighth.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.