According to Sky Sports Germany writer Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United intends to sign Benfica midfielder Joao Neves next summer.
The typically trustworthy writer claims to have “confirmed” that the Red Devils, along with a number of other “top clubs,” are interested in signing the 19-year-old.
Neves made his senior squad debut on Monday, playing the final 5 minutes of Portugal’s European Championship qualifier against Bosnia. Plettenberg’s post on the player’s situation on X was most likely sparked by his appearance.
At the end of August, the English tabloid The Sun published a piece about United’s interest in the adolescent, referring to him as “Bruno Fernandes 2.0” due to his playing style.
Only time will tell if it is a fair comparison. He has only one goal and two assists in 31 games for Benfica’s first team, so he appears to have a long way to go to surpass the United captain’s goal total.
It is understood that Neves has a €120 million (£103 million) release clause, so Benfica are well protected if they choose to keep the midfielder.
There is an assumption, like with many Portuguese teams, that they will sell if their asking price is fulfilled, but this is not guaranteed.
United is unlikely to be able to obtain his services for a decent sum.
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