Soccer is not only about building a team for the current season to win trophies, but also about thinking about the future. There are many wonderkids out there that clubs are ready to play millions for. Those are players like Joao Neves, who is a midfielder for Portuguese club Benfica.
Every club wants to build a team for the future by scouting talented youngsters who will give service for the next decade. And United have adopted that approach after being taken over by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to bring Joao Neves to Manchester United
According to the Mirror, Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to bring in the talented Portuguese wonderkid Joao Neves to the club. He is said to be approving a record-breaking offer of a little over £100 million to bring the Benfica star to Old Trafford. It would dwarf the club’s previous record of £89 million paid for banned Juventus star Paul Pogba.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe had always promised to bring in new changes to the club and would prioritize the future. And he wants to prove that by signing a statement, and he has identified Neves as that player. He would be the perfect replacement for an aging Casemiro as well.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly set to approve a record-breaking offer of just over £100m to secure the signing of Benfica’s Joao Neves this summer 🔴📰
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 10, 2024
However, the club is also prioritizing selling players in the upcoming transfer window to free up space on their wage bill and avoid FFP problems. Harry Maguire is said to be one of those players to be sold soon.
That signing would only be the start of Ratcliffe’s spending spree, as he has promised to spend extensively in the next few transfer windows. However, United’s transfer plans could be diminished if they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season. If they do fail, manager Erik ten Hag will be sacked and there is a chance of the Neves deal falling through.
Joao Neves’s performances in Benfica this season
Joao Neves is quite unheard of by many fans and is only 19 years old. Playing primarily as a defensive midfielder, he has shown many admirable qualities this season. He has already played 42 games for Benfica so far this season, with 2 goals and 2 assists to show for it as well. He has gotten three international caps for Portugal as well.
Even at his young age, he has proven to be quite mature on the pitch and seems to possess qualities similar to those of already established superstars. He is a warrior on the pitch, as he has very good stamina, is very calm with the ball, and can play in tight spaces or under pressure. Despite being of short stature, he is very good aerially as well.
It remains to be seen whether Joao Neves does move to Old Trafford this summer, with United keen to qualify for the Champions League to make that happen.
