Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is “very interested” in Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, according to CaughtOffside.com.
The website claims that the Premier League champions are considering potential replacements for Bernardo Silva, with the 29-year-old having a release clause in his contract allowing him to leave the Etihad for £50m this summer.
A number of targets have been looked at, including West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Paris Saint-Germain’s Xavi Simons, with Neves also on the list.
The teenager has already been compared to Bruno Fernandes by some in the media, although he has yet to produce the goods in terms of goals and assists, which his Portuguese international teammate is known for.
Silva is a big fan of Neves
Ironically, one of the Benfica player’s biggest admirers is Bernardo Silva. Speaking about the young midfielder back in November, the City playmaker said:
“If I can, I’ll make a move for Joao Neves to go to Man City instead of Man United, of course.”
Manchester United are known to have scouted Neves, along with Arsenal, in recent months but there is a big obstacle stopping these teams (and City) from making a bid for the youngster.
A huge release clause may put off City
Neves’s buyout fee currently stands at €120m (£102m) and Benfica are not believed to be interested in selling him for below that figure.
The 19-year-old signed a new five-year contract back in August last year, and they are under no pressure to cash in during the current transfer window.
City would, therefore, have to break their transfer record in order to snap up Neves and, considering that he has only made 75 appearances in senior football, it would be a massive risk. The club would be making a gamble on the player’s potential.
