Who is Richard Rios? What Newcastle fans must know about potential replacement for big-name star
Newcastle have registered their interest in Benfica midfielder Richard Rios as Bruno Guimaraes moves closer to joining Arsenal.
The Magpies' hectic summer is not slowing down as we enter the final month of the transfer window.
Guimaraes soon looks set to follow Eddie Howe, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon out of the club after Arsenal agreed a deal to sign him on Tuesday afternoon.
Prospective new manager Matthias Jaissle is set to be backed in the final few weeks of the window as PIF eye several key additions.
Sources have told Football Insider that Newcastle are keen on a move for Benfica star Rios, having held a long-term interest in his services.
He recently returned to the Portuguese giants after being at the World Cup with Colombia, with Napoli also thought to be eyeing his signature.
What do Newcastle fans need to know about Rios?
Rios grew up in poverty in Colombia and moved to Brazil as a teenager to follow his dream of becoming a footballer, as he took up futsal was scouted by Flamengo at a national tournament in 2019.
He emerged through their youth set-up to make seven senior appearances before joining second-tier side Guarani in 2022.
The defensive midfielder impressed enough to earn a move back to the top flight with Palmeiras a year later, and became a key player as they won the Serie A title in his debut season.
Benfica broke their transfer record to land him for around £23.1million last summer, and he impressed throughout 2025-26 with eight goals and six assists in 45 appearances.
Rios has featured 37 times for the Colombian national team since his debut in 2023, and played in five games at the World Cup before they went out in the last 16.
Who else are Newcastle targeting in midfield?
Jaissle will have to work quickly with Newcastle's owners to get his top targets through the door over the next few weeks.
The Magpies have already signed Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba to bolster their midfield, with sources revealing to Football Insider that Lucas Bergvall could move to Tyneside soon, but not until after UEFA's new 45-day rule ends.
Porto starlet Victor Froholdt is believed to be on their radar too, while Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha is a long-time target and they remain interested in a move.