Manchester City are ahead of city-rivals Manchester United in the race for the services of 19-year-old sensation Joao Neves.
According to a report by Fichajes, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are leading the race for the services of Joao Neves. City and their rivals Manchester United are both keen on having the Benfica forward in their ranks. The 19-year-old Portuguese international is a star in the making and both the English giants do not want to miss out on him.
Neves joined Benfica back in 2016, he has come up the ranks at some pace. The teenager made it to their first team in the winter of 2023. In just over a year, he has featured in 52 matches for the Portuguese club’s first team.
His impressive performances have earned him a spot in Portugal’s national team and have also resulted in a lot of interest from clubs across Europe. The defensive midfielder has been a mainstay for his team in the ongoing season. He has featured in a total of 32 matches this term so far and has also contributed towards three goals.
His consistent performances in the defensive third have caught the eye of both English giants. City and United are both in need of a need defensive midfielder. Pep Guardiola’s team do have Rodri in their ranks but they need to plan for the long run and Neves could be the answer.
As far as United are concerned, Casemiro hasn’t been at his best of late and since he is in the final phase of his career, the Red Devils want to add the Portugal international to their ranks. He could be a pivotal figure in their new project under the ownership of Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS who are set to take charge of the club’s sporting project.
But, according to the report, Erik ten Hag’s team are behind City in the race for his signatures. Guardiola’s men have emerged as favourites to sign the promising defensive midfielder. Both Manchester clubs are looking to push for his services next winter but City have the advantage according to the report.
Signing Neves is a huge step for City’s long-term transfer strategy that hopes to bring the best young talents from across the globe to their ranks and build a team for the future. Guardiola has given the green light to the move and he is expected to be a key figure in the negotiations.
