Manchester United join the race to sign 19-year-old defensive midfielder

Manchester United are interested in signing the Benfica midfielder Joao Neves.

A report from Jornal de Noticias via SportWitness claims that Manchester United are hoping to secure the 19-year-old’s services in the coming months but a transfer will be quite difficult to pull off.

Apparently, Juventus are keen on signing the player as well and they have already held talks with Jorge Mendes regarding a potential move.

The player is highly rated at the Portuguese club and he has a €120 million release close in his contract. Benfica have a reputation of being difficult to negotiate with and they are likely to demand the premium for his services. It remains to be seen whether Manchester United are prepared to pay his release clause in order to sign him.

Neves is a prodigious young talent with a big future ahead ahead of him and he could be a key player for Manchester United in the coming seasons. The Red Devils could definitely use another quality, defensive midfielder in their ranks and the 19-year-old could be the ideal partner for Casemiro now. He could go on to replace the Brazilian in the long term.

Neves is an excellent passer from the deep and his ability to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side will certainly help Manchester United shore up defensively.

The 19-year-old could be tempted to join one of the biggest clubs in the world, but the two clubs must finalise an agreement first. Benfica will probably have to accept a more reasonable fee in order for the move to go through.