Who is Joao Neves? Benfica's new Enzo Fernandez linked with a £100m transfer to Man Utd

Suraj Radia

22 Nov 2023 07:26 GMT
4 min read

Benfica's Joao Neves celebrates a goal against Sporting Lisbon — © ProShots

Benfica are known as a conveyor belt for talented youngsters to be sold on for record fees to major European clubs and Joao Neves could be the latest of the bunch.

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The 19-year-old has been enjoying a breakout year since the departure of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea in January, establishing himself as a regular in the Benfica first team and recently making his debut for Portugal’s national team.

The youngster’s progression has attracted the interest of Manchester United in particular, with reports that Erik ten Hag’s side could make a move for the midfielder next summer. But they are not the only ones, with a string of Premier League sides queueing up to battle for the youngster.

Just who is the new golden boy in Benfica who could become the next Fernandez by making a big money move to the Premier League?

What position does Joao Neves play in?

Neves is known for his versatility in midfield, featuring regularly as a defensive-minded option while also having the ability to play further forward behind the strikers or in the middle of both positions as a natural central player.

He has also featured out wide and even as an emergency full-back on occasion.

How good is Joao Neves?

Having come through Benfica’s academy as a child, Neves impressed for the under-19 team as they won the UEFA Youth League in 2022 and only made his debut for the ‘B’ team in August last year.

Neves was fast-tracked into the senior side after Fernandez was sold in January and the teenager went on to make 17 league appearances in the second half of last season, making six starts and scoring once.

This season Neves has been a regular starter under Roger Schmidt, forming a strong partnership in midfield with summer signing Orkun Kokcu to lead Benfica to seven wins in their opening eight games.

In particular, Neves has been an all-round engine for Benfica, regularly getting involved on the ball while also being a commanding presence off it with his tackling and work rate, drawing comparisons to his Portuguese compatriot Bruno Fernandes.

He is a strong dribbler as well as passer, rarely losing the ball and being able to pick the right teammate or shrug off a defender, while also boasting an impressive aerial duel success rate despite his small stature at 5 foot 9 inches.

Neves has also featured heavily for Portugal throughout his career, making more than 25 appearances in the youth teams from the U15s to the U21s before being handed his first senior cap in October 2023 after winning the Primeira Liga’s Midfielder of the Month award in September.

What clubs are interested in signing Joao Neves?

United have held the strongest interest in Neves, having scouted him since before his breakthrough into the Benfica first team, and they could push hardest for him next summer.

Manchester City and Barcelona have also kept tabs on Neves, while Juventus reportedly had an approach immediately rejected by Benfica.

Indeed, Bernardo Silva has said he wants City to beat the Old Trafford side to the player, telling B24PT: “If I can, I will pull strings to Joao Neves to go to Man City. I’d like to see Joao joining City instead of Man United, of course!”

However, with Neves understood to have a release clause worth €120 million in his contract and Benfica having no desire to sell the player before 2025, only a few teams could afford to pay that buyout if it came down to it.