Chelsea set to battle Liverpool and Manchester United for Joao Neves
Chelsea have joined other European clubs in the pursuit of highly regarded midfielder Joao Neves. The Portuguese midfielder has earned praise for his exploits at Benfica, and now many clubs are lining up an offer to sign the youngster.
As per O Jogo, via Football.London, the Blues have entered the race to sign the 19-year-old midfielder. However, his signing won’t come easy as the player has a release clause worth €120 million (£102 million), which could rise to €150 million (£128 million).
The West Londoners have previously done business with the Portuguese side when they brought Enzo Fernandez for £106.8m, broke the British transfer record, and could once again follow the same path to sign Neves.
However, this time his pursuit won’t be straightforward, as many clubs, such as Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, are keen on acquiring the midfielder.
At just 19, Neves has become a fundamental part of Benfica, appearing in 27 games in the league with three goals and two assists to his name. He is already ranked among one of the top midfielders in Europe and next summer he will be in high demand.
The Portuguese clubs are known for producing many exciting talents, and Fernandez is the latest testament to that. Neves, similar to the Argentine midfielder, boasts a high ceiling and could be an ideal midfielder in the defensive area.
Neves just understands excessively about the game and is too talented for his age. Even at this young age, his ability to avoid pressure while playing the ball is outstanding. He can press aggressively to regain possession and isn’t scared to make interceptions. Despite his diminutive size, he has an amazing defensive work rate from the middle of the pitch and can compete for aerial duels.
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Given that Andrey Santos is on loan and Chelsea already have players like Moises Caicedo, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Romeo Lavia, do the team need another young defensive midfielder? Given that Neves is young and since playing in the Portuguese League is so different from the Premier League, perhaps if we do not want one, we should bring a player with experience rather than one who is still developing.