Manchester United are set to initiate early talks to sign Benfica midfielder Joao Neves later this year, according to Mirror.
The 19-year-old made his big breakthrough with the Portuguese champions last term and he has now established himself as a key player in the centre of the park.
His progress has caught the eye of several elite European clubs and Mirror claim that United plan to begin ‘early transfer talks’ to land the highly-rated wonderkid.
Neves currently has a release clause worth €120 million (£103m) in his contract and it is left to be seen whether United can negotiate a lesser price for him in the summer.
The teenager has been a revelation for Benfica since becoming a mainstay. In the current season, he has a passing accuracy of 90 per cent from the holding midfield position.
Defensively, he has been brilliant with an average of 2.4 tackles and 7.1 duels won per appearance. He has also completed 70 per cent of his dribbles with 6.8 ball recoveries.
Neves has the hallmarks of becoming a world-class midfielder in future. United are aware of his huge potential and could establish early contact with his representative.
Super-agent Jorge Mendes has a very good working relationship with the Red Devils over the years and the club will be aiming to persuade the midfielder into a move.
A number of other clubs will also be in the running for his signature. If United miss out on qualifying for the Champions League, it could hamper their chances of landing him.
This would mean lesser finances for the 2024/25 season which could impact their business. They are set to miss out on £28m this term after their early exit from Europe.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
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