Portuguese duo Joao Neves and Dario Essugo have emerged on the radar of Barcelona over a possible move in 2024.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joao Neves and Dario Essugo are the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are in the market for a holding midfielder despite signing Oriol Romeu this past summer. And they have set their sights on the 18-year-old midfield sensations.
Joao Neves and Dario Essugo are two of the most promising young prospects in Portugal. Neves, a native of Tavira, began his youth career at CB Tavira before joining Benfica in 2016. Since then, he has come leaps and bounds and made his first-team debut in December 2022. And he has turned out four times in the league thus far this season, providing one assist.
On the other hand, Essugo has been with Sporting CP for nearly a decade, joining them from Santa Maria in 2014. The 18-year-old has rapidly risen through the ranks at the Portuguese club and became the Lions’ youngest-ever debutant in March 2021. Since then, the youngster has made 12 further appearances for Sporting.
Neves and Essugo’s progress at their respective clubs has not gone unnoticed. The duo has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, with reports linking Neves with Manchester United. And the 18-year-old Portuguese midfield prodigies have now alerted Barcelona.
The Catalan giants were busy in the summer transfer window to bolster their midfield unit. Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan joined Barcelona in cost-effective operations. But both players are on the wrong side of 30 and will be short-term solutions in the middle of the park. So, it behoves Barcelona to invest in a young midfielder.
Several midfielders, including Florentino Luis, have thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar. But Neves and Essugo are also viable targets for the reigning La Liga champions. The two players are only just starting their careers and can learn the ropes from Gundogan and Romeu before rising in stature.
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Meanwhile, the report claims Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Josuha Guilavogui are also on Barcelona’s radar. So, it will be interesting to see who they target in 2024 to bolster their midfield department further.
