CONFIRMED: Man Utd tracking Benfica midfielder Joao Neves
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 20 Oct 2023 06:12 BST
- 3 min read
Confirmed
Manchester United admire Joao Neves but any deal for the Benfica youngster won’t be until the summer of 2024, FootballTransfers can confirm.
We are told that the Red Devils are among several clubs tracking the 19-year-old, but the transition of Sir Jim Ratcliffe coming into the fold means that funds are likely to be limited in the January transfer window.
Neves’ current deal runs until 2028 and there is a hefty release clause attached worth €120million. The defensive midfielder is another top talent that has emerged from Benfica who is under Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency. The player is being primed for a move away upon the conclusion of this campaign but his current side will want his full release clause met before they begin negotiations with any club.
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Neves, who has also been linked to Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, only signed fresh terms in August and Benfica are in no hurry to see him depart the Estadio da Luz, knowing that a saga could be drawn out for his signature.
Will Man Utd have funds in January?
Man Utd signed Casemiro last summer but Ratcliffe wants to see an overhaul of how the club recruits new talent if he is to gain a prominent role at the club. The Ineos chief believes in a holistic approach to football and is no fan of some of their recent buys, believing them to be poor value for money.
Neves - who FootballTransfers’ Expected Transfers algorithm values at €12.4million - is considered one of the brightest young players to be playing in Portugal and will almost definitely leave his current club next year, along with Antonio Silva who is also admired by the likes of Man Utd, Liverpool, and Real Madrid.
