Benfica make call on Richard Ríos, putting market on alert | OneFootball

The future of Richard Ríos remains a major talking point at Benfica. Despite strong interest from several European clubs, the Eagles are holding firm on the Colombian midfielder, who is still seen as one of the most important players in the squad for the 2026/27 season.

Even though he came off the bench in Colombia’s win over Uzbekistan in their World Cup opener, Richard Ríos remains highly rated on the market. The Colombia international is part of the group of players considered essential by the hierarchy led by Rui Costa, at a time when Benfica are looking to keep the core of the team together ahead of the new season.

The Eagles’ intention was confirmed by the president himself. "Not everyone is negotiable, we have not put all the players up for sale. We know that not having Champions League football will force us to make some efforts, but we want to keep the bulk of the squad, the most important pieces, and fine-tune it," said Rui Costa, at a press conference held more than a week ago.

Even so, the board is willing to listen to offers if they reach figures considered too good to refuse. Signed from Palmeiras for €27 million at the start of last season, Richard Ríos is only expected to leave the Luz for a fee above €35 million. Napoli have emerged as the main interested party, seeing the Colombian as a possible replacement for Zambo Anguissa, while Inter Milan are also closely monitoring the situation.

At 26, Richard Ríos ended the season in excellent form, with eight goals and six assists in 45 matches, posting the best numbers of his career. In May, the midfielder publicly expressed his desire to stay at Benfica. "I’m at a club that has given me everything. I have a lot of respect and love for them. I hope I can wear this shirt for longer and help them win titles," he said.

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