João Neves could be transferred to Manchester United for a massive fee this summer. The Portuguese midfielder is currently playing for Primeira Liga club Benfica. He came up through the ranks as Benfica and first started hitting the headlines with his superb performance to help the Eagles clinch the 2022/23 Portuguese championship.
According to Bruno Fernandes, João Neves is all set to move into a bigger team that will welcome his talent and industry in the middle of the park. The captain of Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes, has been highly supportive of the 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder.
“João is an excellent player with excellent qualities,” said Fernandes when asked about a prospective more to Manchester United for the teenager on Monday.
“He’s been called up by the Seleção and has caught the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs. I don’t know if it is true Manchester United want to buy him, but I believe mentally and technically João is ready to take the step up.”
João Neves up for the challenge
Despite his young age, Neves has played 65 matches for Benfica’s first team. He started playing football at a young age for his hometown club in of Tavira in the Algarve in southern Portugal. João Neves was part of the Benfica squad that won the 2021-2022 UEFA Youth League.
He made his debut for the senior team on the first day of 2023, coming on late as a substitute in the 3-0 defeat to Braga in the Primeira Liga. He scored his first goal for Benfica against Sporting CP in the Lisbon derby later that season with an opportunistic strike for a late equaliser. Curiously, Neves also scored a crucial late goal for Benfica against fierce rivals Sporting the next season, helping the Eagles come from behind with two goals in stoppage time for a 2-1 victory.
The Portuguese footballer is known for his tenacious energy, finely-tuned positional sense and excellent tactical awareness. He can tackle, is a smooth passer of the ball and has an eye for goal. For such a young player, Neves has shown remarkable maturity, managing to affect every football match he is involved in.
He has been coy about his future in interviews but has more or less let it be known he is open to a step up to a more prestigious league. “I cannot promise because I do not know what the future holds,” he said when asked if he would be leaving Benfica in the summer.
Bruno Fernandes and João Neves are stars of the Portuguese national football team
Bruno Fernandes has become Portugal’s most important attacking midfielder under current coach Roberto Martínez. He scored 6 goals and provided 8 assists during Euro 2024 qualifying.
Born in Maia, Bruno Fernandes successfully transitioned from Sporting CP to Manchester United in 2020, for a transfer fee that with add-ons could reach €80 million. He could be pivotal in helping his Portuguese teammate, Joao Neves, earn a similar move for a similar price to Manchester United for next season.
The Premier League club are keen to build a new future under new ownership and bringing in João Neves to strengthen the midfield positions and play alongside his compatriot Bruno is a distinct possibility. Neves has been called up to Portugal’s national team in recent matches and is expected to be selected in the Euro 2024 squad.
The playing style of Bruno Fernandes is vastly different from his peer Neves, with Fernandes playing audacious passes, often shooting on sight and an expert free-kick taker, while Neves tends to focus more on his link-up play and disrupting the opposition. The two have different skillsets that could complement each other for the benefit of United in 2024/25.
