Why Man Utd target Joao Neves is destined for the top

Cameron Smith

• 10 Nov 2023 09:00 CST
• 6 min read

Benfica’s midfield department has become quite a hotbed of talent in the last year. Of course, the biggest name associated with this is Enzo Fernandez - now starring in the Premier League with Chelsea - but he has not been missed as much as everyone in Lisbon initially feared.

A big reason behind that is the rise of Joao Neves. Fernandez’s departure in early 2023 paved the way for the young Portuguese midfielder to compete for a regular first-team spot, something he has nailed down in 2023-24 (Neves has appeared in each of Benfica’s 10 league matches so far this season).

The 19-year-old starlet even made his senior international debut for Portugal in October, capping off an absolutely rapid ascent to the highest level. Neves has spent his entire career in the Benfica system, even as a child, starting at a feeder club in his hometown before quickly moving to the main academy in 2012.

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After almost a decade, his reputation was boosted massively thanks to his key role at the heart of midfield in Benfica’s 2021-22 UEFA Youth League triumph.

By this point, he started to get a look in with the first-team, and it was not too long later that he began to regularly feature in senior matches. The departure of Fernandez pushed Neves up one spot in the midfield hierarchy and his form during the second-half of last season earned him a starting berth this year.

Neves’ name seems to be on everyone’s lips now, so let’s take a closer look at what all the hype is about.

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All-action midfielder

There is no better way to describe Neves than as an all-action midfielder. Not only does he pop up all over the pitch, but he also possesses a diverse skillset with various qualities that any team would like to see in a midfield.

Positionally speaking, the Portuguese youngster has generally appeared on the right of a double pivot in Benfica's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, so he can be seen as a deep-lying midfielder, although he cannot be called a lone number six.

While he is deployed in a deep midfield role, Neves’ heatmap shows his tendency to move around quite freely. Of course, it shows a lot of action in the middle third and in his own half, but he also likes to dart up and down the wing at times too.

As far as the question of what he does in these areas is concerned, the answer is quite simple: everything.

His work rate is incredible and he stands out defensively, but let’s start by focusing on his work in possession.

Neves is a very tidy ball player who offers great security thanks to his fantastic close control, which he also uses to great effect when dribbling.

In deeper areas (which is generally where Neves receives the ball), his close control makes Neves a very press-resistant midfielder who can retain possession even with opponents on his back. He does not actively look to take on opponents in such areas, though, instead preferring to progress the ball through passing.

He is not half bad at that either. The Portuguese international has averaged well over seven progressive passes per 90 throughout the year while maintaining a good pass completion rate of 88.6% this season.

In simple terms: Neves is great at getting the ball up the pitch but also ensures that his passes do not go astray too often.

Due to his tendency to drift around and operate in deeper areas, Neves is not much of a threat in the final-third, both in terms of chance creation and shooting. It should be noted, though, that this is less of a limitation and more of a reflection of his role in Benfica’s starting XI.

On the flip side, Neves is an incredibly intense defender. He is generally one of the shorter players on the field, but he does not let that discourage him from getting stuck in almost relentlessly.

At the same time, he is anything but reckless. Despite winning possession of the ball through tackles more often than any of his teammates so far this season, he has averaged less than two fouls per 90 and has only picked up a couple of bookings.

The defining trait of Neves’ defensive work is his tenacity. Nothing sums that up better than the fact that he has won more aerial duels than he has lost despite standing at just 5”9.

What next for Neves?

Even more so than the speed of his rise, Neves’ seamless adaptation to the higher intensity and physicality of senior football has been mightily impressive.

He clearly possesses all the traits and qualities of a very well-rounded midfielder already, so there is every reason to think the biggest clubs in Europe’s top five leagues will act on their interest in him very quickly.

The Portuguese midfielder will have to weigh up his options very carefully once they are presented to him, however. Although he has adapted to different environments on the pitch very well so far, a move away from his boyhood club will pose many more off-pitch challenges.

He should consider tactical fit as well. This freer role on the right of a double pivot at Benfica seems to suit him perfectly, but he might not be able to play at his best as a lone number six or more advanced number eight.

This has arguably been seen at times with Fernandez at Chelsea, who was deployed in an unusual single pivot role during his first six months at Stamford Bridge.

For this season at the very least, Neves will surely want to continue his development at the very ripe and stable environment he has at Benfica. He signed a contract extension until 2028 this summer, so he clearly plans on sticking around for at least a few more years before deciding what will come next.

Depending on Neves’ development and the conditions of the market by then, he could well earn Benfica a transfer fee close to the €121 million Chelsea paid for Fernandez.

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