Manchester City will continue to pay a major part of Nicolas Otamendi's salary despite the centre-back's imminent permanent transfer to Benfica, according to reports in Portugal.
The Argentine defender is yet to pass a medical but a deal with the Portuguese side worth £13.7million has been agreed after he fell down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola.
But according to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, City will still be obliged to pay £3.6m (€4m) to the defender for his first two years with the Lisbon side, with the 32-year-old having signed a three-year contract worth £5.4m (€6m) per year at the club.
The report adds the agreement will therefore see Otamendi earn the same wages he was on during his time with City, and only in the final year of his deal will all expenses be transferred to Benfica.
The news will come as an added expense to City, with reports in Portugal also claiming City paid Otamendi a £1.8m (€2m) departure bonus for him to leave the club.
However, it appears City are willing sellers and the opportunity to trade Otamendi to Benfica in exchange for Ruben Dias was a bonus with the Erihad Stadium side recouping almost half of the £32m paid to Valencia for the Argentine defender five years ago.
Dias is on the verge of completing a club-record £64m move to City after he was spotted departing the Lowry Hotel on Tuesday afternoon.
The Benfica captain has already completed a medical and agreed personal terms on a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium.
He said goodbye to his team-mates last week after City agreed to make him the most expensive player in their history, eclipsing the £62.8m paid to Atletico Madrid for midfielder Rodri last year.
Former Barcelona boss Guardiola has been desperate to strengthen his defensive options this summer despite bringing in Nathan Ake from Bournemouth for £40m already this summer, and has been an admirer of Dias for the last two years.
City's shocking 5-2 defeat at home to Leicester on Sunday underlined the need to bring in the Portugal international, who was was one of four options considered, with Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli, Sevilla's Jules Kounde and Atletico's Jose Gimenez also in the frame.
But City believe they have gone for the right man having tracked Dias in previous transfer windows, and got a good deal considering the £80m release clause in his contract.
The Benfica skipper, who has previously attracted interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Juventus, is understood to fit the bill for Guardiola in terms of age, profile and the quality of defender he wanted.
ishti
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Thank you General. You gave your all whenever you wore the City jersey. Thanks for the memories.