Manchester United are looking to beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool to one of Europe’s most in-demand midfielders.
With the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era now firmly underway, United fans are expecting to see new signings made by the club.
Of course, United are always linked with players left, right and centre in any transfer window.
But there is a feeling this summer that we could see some genuine quality arrive at the club, especially with an apparent shift in focus to bringing in younger players with higher retention value.
And according to a report from O’Jogo in Portugal, the Red Devils are now leading the charge to sign Benfica star, Joao Neves.
Manchester United leading English clubs in race to sign Joao Neves
According to the report, there is a clamour from around Europe to snap up Neves this summer.
The midfielder has a release-clause of around £104m and it’s expected he could be on the move given his performances for Benfica.
It’s claimed by O’Jogo that United are the leading contender at the moment to sign Neves, who also has Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea all chasing him.
United are apparently willing to make a big effort to sign Neves, while they also like the idea of signing his teammate, Antonio Silva.
Quite whether United will stump up such figures remains to be seen. Sales could well be needed to go as big as £104m, meaning the likes of Casemiro and even Marcus Rashford could be up for sale.
Neves looks to have it all
While it’s not brand new news thatUnited are keen on Neves, it’s little wonder to see them apparently so keen to get him.
Indeed, the midfielder has even had the seal of approval from current United skipper Bruno Fernandes.
“I don’t know if United rumours are true, but I know he is ready for that big jump. He is an excellent player, he’s with the national team. That’s also why the big clubs are after him,” Fernandes said.
Neves, still only 19, is considered as one of the best midfielders in Europe right now and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is said to really want him at The Emirates.
United, then, could well be stealing a march here if they get this one done ahead of their rivals.