Report: Everton are in the race to sign 26-year-old midfielder | OneFootball

Everton Join Richard Rios Transfer Race as Benfica Hold Firm on £87m Midfielder

Everton are the latest club to be pulled into the Richard Rios transfer chatter, and that matters up to a point. According to Sport Witness, citing claims from Italy, the Blues have now joined a growing queue for the Benfica midfielder, alongside Fulham and Bournemouth, while Napoli remain the side with the clearest angle.

That is the key point here. Everton’s name is new, the interest is noteworthy, but the situation has not moved much beyond that. The report says Everton have “joined Bournemouth and Fulham in showing interest in Ríos”, which sounds exactly like what it is, a club monitoring a player in a market where plenty of teams are doing the same.

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Richard Rios Interest Grows

Rios has become one of those names that keeps surfacing because he ticks obvious boxes. He is an international midfielder, he is at a major Portuguese club, and he has enough pedigree to attract Premier League attention. So when the report says “Everton are a completely new addition to the picture”, it reinforces a wider truth, clubs are watching, but nobody in England appears ready to force the issue.

That matters because Benfica are under no pressure whatsoever. The report is clear that there is “still little evidence that any English side has progressed beyond the enquiry stage”. In other words, scouts watch, agents talk, journalists report, and the club owning the player stays calm.

Napoli Appear Best Placed

If there is a genuine front-runner, it looks like Napoli. The Italian side have been described as the club “pushing hardest”, and there is another detail that gives that idea some weight. Ferrante claims that “if Richard Ríos does leave Benfica, his preferred destination would be Napoli because of the opportunity to play Champions League football.” That is significant. Players do care about leagues and money, but top-level European football still shifts decisions.

There is also the Benfica angle. Earlier reports suggested Rios was settled in Lisbon and had valued working under José Mourinho. With the managerial picture changed, that may alter the mood, but Benfica’s stance has not altered. They “would only consider selling if an offer was considered irresistible.”

Benfica Hold the Cards

This is where the story becomes brutally simple. Richard Rios is under contract until 2030. He has a “€100m (£87m) release clause”. Benfica “remain in complete control.” Those are not throwaway details, they are the whole story.

Everton can admire the player all they want. Fulham and Bournemouth can do the same. Napoli may have the player’s ear. None of it changes the basic reality, Benfica decide if this goes anywhere, and they are in no rush. Interest is growing, but interest is cheap. Signing him is the expensive part.

Our View – EPL Index

As an Everton supporter, this is the sort of link that gets you going, because Richard Rios looks like the kind of midfielder who could lift the level straight away. He has presence, athleticism and that modern all-action profile every side wants. Everton need more quality in the middle of the pitch, more authority on the ball, and more players opponents actually worry about.

That said, let’s be honest about it. The £87m figure is colossal for Everton. If Benfica are serious about that number, then this feels more like admiration than a deal waiting to happen. Still, there is no harm in aiming high. Everton should be looking at players of this calibre, even if the final move ends up being difficult.

What is encouraging is that the club are being mentioned in these conversations at all. Supporters want ambition. They want to feel Everton are shopping above the safe, predictable level. If Rios is genuinely on the radar, it suggests the recruitment team are at least thinking bigger.

Would he choose Everton over Napoli if Champions League football is on the table in Italy? Probably not. That is just reality. But football moves quickly, deals collapse, priorities change, and Everton have to be ready if there is any opening. From a fan perspective, this is a report worth watching closely, because even if Rios himself proves out of reach, it tells you the club may finally be targeting the right profile.