Real Madrid grow in confidence over £80M transfer for Manchester City star | OneFootball

Ruben Dias could become the next big name to make the switch into Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid project, amid ‘growing confidence’ from within the Bernabeu over an £80 million transfer.

It was reported this week that Dias had been identified as a potential outgoing from the Etihad Stadium this summer, with the defender’s situation continuing to escalate after his representatives were first instructed to test the market for a move following Pep Guardiola‘s recent departure from the Etihad Stadium.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is reportedly prepared to back Mourinho’s pursuit financially, continuing the Portuguese manager’s pattern of leaning on familiar faces to execute his rebuild of the Santiago Bernabeu, having already completed a deal for former City captain Bernardo Silva, who has signed a two-year deal to move to the Spanish capital.

Perez’s backing, Mourinho’s pattern & City’s resistance

According to the Manchester Evening News, Mourinho is plotting a move for Dias, with Real Madrid increasingly confident of enticing him away from the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Real Madrid’s defensive issues have been well-documented for some time, with Eder Militao‘s recurring injury problems, Antonio Rudiger now 33 and David Alaba‘s expected departure all feeding into a centre-back rebuild that has so far failed to convince through Raul Asencio and Dean Huijsen.

Dias, 29, has made 255 appearances for Manchester City since arriving from Benfica for £65 million in 2020, represents exactly the kind of proven, title-winning profile Mourinho is said to be targeting following his dramatic return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Manchester City are determined to fend off any approach, with incoming manager Enzo Maresca reportedly considering the Portugal international ‘integral’ to his plans heading into the post-Guardiola era – even as the noise from Madrid continues to build.

What would an £80m Dias sale mean for Manchester City?

Dias signed a new four-year contract extension only last summer, leaving City with significant leverage over any deal and little incentive to sanction a cut-price departure unless the player himself forces the issue.

A sale would nonetheless represent a third senior figure to leave City’s leadership group within the space of a year, following the exits of John Stones and Silva – and would deepen the scale of the rebuild facing Maresca before his first season in charge even begins.

Whether Real Madrid’s confidence translates into a formal £80 million bid or City’s resistance holds firm through the summer, remains to be seen; but with Mourinho already working through a shortlist of familiar faces from the Etihad Stadium, Dias’s situation looks unlikely to cool down anytime soon.