Man Utd face competition in race to sign Benfica wonderkid

Cameron Smith

Updated: 6 Oct 2023 03:47 CDT
4 min read

Erik ten Hag, Manchester United — © ProShots/FootballTransfers

Juventus are paying close attention to the progress of Benfica youngster Joao Neves, according to reports in Italy, as they consider making a move for the talented midfielder.

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Neves, 19, has become a regular at Benfica following Enzo Fernandez’s €121 million move to Chelsea at the start of 2023.

The Argentine’s departure has provided Neves with a chance in the Benfica first-team and he has cemented his place in the starting XI this season.

Unsurprisingly, his breakout onto the senior stage has attracted transfer interest from clubs around Europe, with Manchester United expressing their desire to sign Neves close to Transfer Deadline Day.

At the end of August, The Sun reported that Erik ten Hag’s side had held talks with Benfica regarding a possible move for Neves. Those talks did not lead to a deal, however, as Benfica are reportedly keen on waiting until next summer to cash in on the Portuguese youngster.

Chelsea were also reportedly keen in August, as per The Sun’s report, but Benfica are reluctant to deal with the Blues following the saga that saw Fernandez move to Stamford Bridge in January.

Furthermore, Mauricio Pochettino’s side now have a stacked midfield roster, with all of their stars in that position under the age of 25.

Neves to Juventus?

Now, Calciomercato have reported that Juventus have entered the race for Neves as they search for a possible Paul Pogba replacement.

The Frenchman has been provisionally suspended after he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone earlier this season. He is currently waiting on counter analysis results.

If those come back positive too, then Pogba could face a four-year footballing ban. The France midfielder re-joined Juve from Man Utd in 2022, but he managed just 10 appearances in all competitions in his first year back in Turin, and has only played twice this season so far.

© ProShots - Paul Pogba re-joined Juventus in 2022

As a result, Juventus are reportedly eyeing up a move for Neves as his replacement. Furthermore, Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram has also been targeted by the Italian giants.

He was chased by Liverpool for the majority of the summer, but the Reds eventually pursued other targets.