Manchester City have ended their pursuit of Napoli centre back Kalidou Koulibaly after completing a move for Benfica's Ruben Dias.
Pep Guardiola's side have agreed €55m fee with the Eagles, with Nicolas Otamendi set to join the Portuguese outfit for a €15m fee as part of the deal.
The former Premier League champions had been working to secure the transfer of Koulibaly for the past two seasons but had been consistently put off by Napoli's valuation of the defender.
The case has been no different this summer with the Serie A side refusing to make compromises despite the economic crisis brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Discouraged by Koulibaly's price-tag, negotiations stalled and City moved to explore the prospect of signing another centre back on their wishlist.
The targets identified included Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez, Sevilla's Jules Kounde and Benfica's Ruben Dias, and it is the latter who looks set for a move to Etihad.
According to the Guardian, Dias will complete a medical this week and will be unveiled as a City player after an agreement was reached with Benfica on a €55m fee.
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Nicolas Otamendi is expected to head in the opposite direction in a deal worth €15m.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
