Rúben Dias and Arabella Chi have appeared to confirm their romance after they were spotted heading on holiday together on Monday morning.
The Manchester City player, 26, and Love Island star, 32, put on a cosy display as they arrived at Manchester Airport on New Year’s Day.
Rúben attempted to keep his appearance under the radar by hiding his face under a black baseball cap.
He also sported a black hoodie, with the hood won up over his head, and a pair of matching jeans.
Arabella also opted for comfort for her flight, donning a cream Boohoo hoodie with coordinating jogging bottoms.
She added a pair of casual trainers, while wearing her hair down and appearing to go makeup free.
The footballer and the reality star have been at the heart of romance rumours for several months and are said to have begun dating in September.
In November, The Sun reported that Arabella has been regularly jetting from her home in Ibiza to spend time with Ruben in the UK.
They added the Portuguese hunk has been ‘showering’ the stunner with gifts, but that the couple are trying to keep their romance under wraps.
A source said: ‘Rúben and Arabella have been quietly dating for the past month. She has visited him in Manchester and their dates have been all under the radar.
‘They went to Paris for their first romantic mini-break in the week, where he wined and dined her at all the best restaurants’.
‘Rúben and Arabella are trying to keep their relationship under wraps because it’s early days. But they had the best time together in Paris and seem to be really falling for each other.’
However, the pair sparked speculation among their fans after several eagled-eyed followers claimed the pair had gone on a romantic trip to Paris together in November, after posting near-identical shots.
Both Rúben and Arabella shared snaps of the Eiffel Tower taken from the same angle and clearly within minutes of each other as the same passers by could be spotted in the snaps.
Rúben was in Paris for the glittering Ballon d’Or awards, while Arabella’s time in Paris seemed to be a pit stop on her way to Ibiza, with the model sharing snaps of herself on the White Isle.
Model and social influencer Arabella, who took part in the fifth season of Love Island in 2019, split from New York businessman Richie Akiva in September.
Arabella was also linked to another athlete this year, former French rugby player Yoann Huget, after the couple were spotted together at the French Open in June.
A source said at the time: ‘They’ve been dating for a while and it’s now turned more serious so they were happy to make it official at the French Open.’
She was also briefly linked to DJ Tom Zanetti in 2021 but was quick to shoot down the claims, insisting: ‘We did a shoot together, but we’re just good friends! People have assumed more than it is.
‘I’m 100 percent single and for the first time in my life I’m learning about myself and I know what I want now in a guy.
‘I don’t want to settle. When you’re younger you think “he’s hot, he’ll do for now,” but now I’m like no, I know what I want and know my worth.’
Meanwhile, Rúben was last linked to cabaret dancer Ginevra Festa and the pair were pictured kissing last summer, but have not been seen together since.
Prior to this he had an ugly split from singer April Ivy, who released a song called Broken Apologies shortly after the break up, which appeared to be about the City star.
The couple started dating at the end of 2018 and went public on New Year’s Day 2019, however they broke up in September 2021 over ‘lifestyle differences’.
Insiders told Portuguese magazine Flash! at the time that Rúben’s desire for a ‘more discreet’ life clashed with his former love’s ‘exuberance’, leading to their reported break-up and his removal of April from his social media channels.
Rúben has had a stellar year with Man City, helping the club lift five major trophies – the Premier League, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
2023 saw City become the first English club in history to simultaneously hold this quality quintet of trophies, with the team securing the Club World Cup in Jeddah just before Christmas.
Reflecting on the incredible past 12 months, Rúben said: ‘For both me and the club, it’s been a special year, for everything that we won, for how we have won it, our whole playing philosophy.
‘It’s undoubtedly been a year that we’ll never forget.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
