Full details revealed! The real cost of Rios' Saudi escape
The numbers behind Richard Ríos' move to Al Ittihad are now on the table, and Benfica have protected themselves on every front.
Details: According to Fabrizio Romano, Al Ittihad will pay Benfica a €4 million loan fee for the Colombian midfielder and cover 100% of his salary. There is no buy option clause: Ríos formally returns to Lisbon in June, with his future to be assessed in 2027.
The structure confirms what was agreed earlier on deadline day, when Romano gave the here we go to the season-long loan. For Benfica it is close to the ideal exit for a player who had fallen out of the plans: the Eagles bank €4 million, save the full wage bill and keep the 26 year old's registration, having signed him from Palmeiras only last summer for a fee reported around €30 million on a contract running to 2030. For Al Ittihad, who already shook the market this window with the €65 million arrival of Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal, it is a low-risk midfield reinforcement with full control over the cost. Ríos, a regular for Colombia, now gets the playing time he needs to stay in the picture for his national team, and both clubs will sit down again in the summer of 2027 to decide the next step.
It's worth noting that the absence of any buy option is unusual for a Saudi Pro League loan of this size, underlining that Benfica still believe in Ríos' long-term value and see this purely as a one-season arrangement.
Reminder: Martinelli to leave Arsenal! Brazilian forward to join new club for €65 million.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
