Rui Costa on alert as River Plate ‘to make’ fresh move for Nicolás Otamendi | OneFootball

River Plate remain interested in signing Benfica captain Nicolás Otamendi, with the club led by Rui Costa braced for a renewed approach.

El Crack Deportivo reports that Eduardo Coudet, successor to Marcelo Gallardo, wants River to secure Otamendi at the end of the current season, factoring in that the captain has yet to decide on another renewal with Benfica, and that the 38-year-old sits on a shortlist with Jhohan Romaña of San Lorenzo, Santiago Ramón Mingo of Bahia and Mateo Carabajal of Independiente del Valle.

The new coach is aligned with the board and aims to have the Benfica skipper in soon, seeking to bolster the defence with a player of his experience and leadership.

River have been exploring a move for Otamendi for a long time.

This season Otamendi, valued at one million euros, has made 43 appearances for Benfica. They comprise 24 in the Liga Portugal Betclic, 14 in the Champions League, two in the Taça de Portugal, two in the Taça da Liga and one in the Supertaça, across 3,809 minutes with three goals.

Source: Glorioso 1904