Ruben Dias' Manchester City contract and why talks have been on hold

Manchester City put new contract talks with Ruben Dias on ice in order to prioritise other needs, a new report has revealed.

The 27-year-old central defender, still regarded as one of the very best in the world, has just over two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, having joined from Benfica in September 2020 in a deal that involved Nicolas Otamendi heading in the other direction.

Dias' long-time centre-back partner John Stones is out of contract next year and having seen his campaign disrupted by injuries once more, there's no guarantee that City will gamble on extending the deal of the 30-year-old as he exits his prime years.

Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, who are both out injured at present, have the same amount of time remaining on their deals as Dias, though the Portuguese international is arguably the more valuable asset to Guardiola despite the positional versatility of the aforementioned duo.

A report from The Athletic states that Dias would like to extend his career with the defending Premier League champions, whose reign is coming to a shuddering end after a catastrophic run of results that has left them trailing leaders Liverpool by 20 points, but City made a conscious decision in January to put talks on hold.

Doing so enabled City to prioritise spending in the January transfer window, and their business included two signings for the future in Dias' position - the talented duo of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.

Khusanov has already made an impression in the first team, allowing Dias time to manage his workload and ensure he does not suffer a reoccurrence of the hip injury and muscle stiffness that has hampered him in recent weeks, not long after recovering from a calf issue.

City also needed to put money into Erling Haaland's blockbuster new contract, which ties the free-scoring Norwegian international to the club until the summer of 2034.

In addition to Dias, the contracts of Rodri and Phil Foden also expire in 2027, with both players almost certainly regarded as indispensable. Interest from Real Madrid in 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri could complicate matters, but it's thought negotiations with Foden, who graduated from the club's academy, will be relatively straightforward for new director of football Hugo Viana.

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