Man Utd have made final £59m bid to sign 'born leader', don't want to pay more - report
Manchester United have made a final take-or-leave offer for Benfica wonderkid Joao Neves, according to Portuguese publication Record (page 15).
The Red Devils are aiming to bolster their defensive midfield department this summer and they have identified multiple targets for the position.
Neves is one of those. United failed with a £51m bid to sign him earlier last month and Record claim that the club have followed up with a £59m offer.
This is reportedly the final take-or-leave proposal from the Red Devils, but there is no indication that Benfica will consider parting ways with Neves.
The 19-year-old currently has a £102m release clause in his contract and Benfica president Rui Costa is determined to keep him for the 2024/25 season.
A summer exit has not been entirely ruled out, but it is claimed that it would require at least £85m for the Primeira Liga giants to contemplate his departure.
Neves would be a statement signing for United
The youngster had a fantastic breakthrough campaign with Benfica last term. He was brilliant from the number six role and was ever-present for the whole season.
Neves had a passing accuracy of 90 percent with two tackles and six duels won per appearance. He made 6.4 recoveries on average, completing 62 percent of his take-ons.
At just 19, Neves has shown plenty of maturity and Costa has described him as a ‘born leader‘.
United can make a statement by bringing him to Old Trafford, but it may require a much higher fee to persuade Benfica into sanctioning the youngster’s transfer.
With the Red Devils’ limited transfer budget, a renewed offer could be doubtful. They could turn their attention to landing Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com