Nicolas Otamendi is unveiled as a Benfica player with the Argentinian joining for £13m after ending five-year spell at Manchester City as he vows to defend the club ‘to the death’
- Nicolas Otamendi has been unveiled as a Benfica player after leaving Man City
- The Argentine spent five years at Manchester City in a hugely successful spell
- Ruben Dias went the other way as he joined City in a club-record £64m switch
- Otamendi promised he would ‘defend Benfica to the death’ after his £13m move
Nicolas Otamendi has been unveiled at Benfica after he brought his five-year spell at Manchester City to an end.
The Argentinian has joined the Portuguese outfit in a £13million deal after helping the Sky Blues to a hugely successful period as he won seven trophies during his time at the club.
Defender Ruben Dias has gone the other way, with City confirming his arrival from Benfica on Tuesday in a club-record £64m move. Otamendi had fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola and has now embarked on a new chapter after being shown off to the Portuguese media.
Nicolas Otamendi poses with director Rui Costa after being unveiled as a Benfica player
He promised to defend Benfica ‘to the death’ after leaving Manchester City in a £13m deal
The 32-year-old will wear the number 30 shirt and believes he brings experience to the team
After being confirmed as Benfica’s new signing, the 32-year-old posted a picture of him holding his new number 30 shirt with director Rui Costa and said he was ‘glad to be here and for the opportunity’.
He later promised to defend the club ‘to the death’ after signing a three-year deal and said he was looking forward to working under manager Jorge Jesus.
‘I want to thank the President, Rui Costa and Tiago Pinto for having taken care of my return to Portugal,’ he told the club’s official website.
Ruben Dias went the other way as Man City secured a club-record £64m deal for the defender
Otamendi enjoyed five successful years at Man City as he helped the club win seven trophies
‘I bring experience and I will try to make things the best possible. I hope Benfica will continue to grow. I come to help my teammates so that the team can function better throughout the season.
‘In each team I played, I defended the jersey as unique, with professionalism, trying to grow, both in football and personal, and leave a good image. Now I wear Benfica’s jersey and I will defend it until death or until the day I have to leave.’
On Jesus, he said: ‘He is a winning coach, he has demonstrated this over the years and we hope that this season – which is a new stage for me – will be able to put Benfica in the highest place.’
Otamendi made 210 appearances for Man City having joined from Valencia for £32million in 2015. He has scored 11 goals in that time and was a key part of a trophy-laden spell as he enjoyed back-to-back Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
He admitted his time at the Etihad was ‘wonderful’ and was treated well by everyone at the club
It will be his second time playing in the Portuguese top flight, having spent four years with Benfica’s rivals Porto from 2010 to 2014.
After leaving the Premier League outfit, he admitted the experience was ‘wonderful’ and said he had forged special relationships with everyone at the club.
‘They were five wonderful years,’ he told Man City’s official website. ‘Not just in a footballing sense, but also at a club where they treat you in the best way possible, from the chefs to the kitmen, through to the backroom staff.
‘I’ve had the opportunity to win two Premier Leagues, to win the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Community Shield. If you win titles it is because you are doing things well, and so I’m happy to have enjoyed these moments, and more than grateful.
