Al-Ittihad have continued their signings during the current summer transfer window, just days before their first Clasico of the new season, against traditional rivals Al-Nassr.
The Jeddah giants face Al-Nassr next Saturday at the Al-Inma Stadium, in the fifth round of the Saudi Roshn League.
And 96 hours before the match, the "ESPN" network revealed that Benfica have agreed to the transfer of their Colombian midfielder Richard Rios to Al-Ittihad during the current summer transfer window.
Rios will join the Saudi club on loan for one season, for between 3 and 4 million euros, with Al-Ittihad covering his wages in full. There is no buy-back clause.
The move comes as Al-Ittihad look to strengthen a position they had struggled to fill, particularly after missing out on several targets recently, the latest of them Imam Ashour, the star of Egypt's Al-Ahly.
Rios becomes the third midfielder Al-Ittihad have signed this summer, after Senegal's Dion Lopy from Spain's Almeria and Saudi Arabia's Rakan Kaabi from Al-Feiha.
The 26-year-old leaves the Portuguese side after a single season, having arrived last summer from Brazil's Palmeiras for 16 million euros.
In that time, Rios played 51 matches for Benfica across various competitions, scoring 8 goals and providing 6 assists.
