Manchester United look set to face competition from Manchester City in the race to sign Benfica wonderkid Joao Neves at the end of the season, according to Record (page 7).
Neves is currently one of the most-sought young midfielders in European football, and he has made a huge impression since his breakthrough with Benfica last season.
The 19-year-old is already a regular starter for the Primeira Liga outfit from the defensive midfield role and Record claim that he is on the radar of several major clubs in Europe.
United are known to be interested in signing him next summer but Record add that Pep Guardiola’s side are also in contention to sign the highly-rated youngster from Portugal.
Red Devils need to be pro-active in Neves pursuit
Neves currently has a release clause worth €120 million on his existing contract, but Benfica are likely to accept a lesser fee – just as they did with Goncalo Ramos last summer.
Ramos was protected by a similar buy-out clause in his Benfica deal, but Paris Saint-Germain managed to prise him away for around €80m from the Portuguese champions.
United should be optimistic of doing the same but the big question is whether they can persuade the youngster to join them with the high-profile interest from elsewhere.
City have now entered the race to sign the Portuguese wonderkid but the likes of PSG and Real Madrid could also join the pursuit ahead of next summer’s transfer window.
One thing in United’s favour would be their relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes, who is the representative of Neves. They need to initiate talks early to move ahead of the queue.
In recent times, teams have secured verbal agreements with players. United should attempt to do something similar with Neves to put themselves in the front seat to sign him.
Neves can play in the defensive and central midfield roles. He could be seen as a long-term successor to Casemiro. He is already strong with his distribution and likes to engage in regular duels.
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