Manchester United have been knocked back by one of European football's most promising young talents
Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe(Image credit: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Manchester United have enjoyed a productive week on the transfer front, welcoming striker Joshua Zirkzee and defender Leny Yoro to the club in a £90million double swoop.
These were the first big deals of what is expected to be a busy summer at Old Trafford as the new regime headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe look to rebuild a squad that limped to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League last term.
With fresh blood in at defence and attack, it looks like midfield will be the next position targeted, but the club appear to have been knocked back by one of their proposed targets.
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According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Benfica’s 19-year-old midfielder Joao Neves has been a target for not only Manchester United, but their cross-town rivals Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain as well.
A Bola add that the Red Devils and PSG reportedly both made €70million bids for the teenager earlier this month and while a decision has not yet been reached by the Portuguese side, the player himself has snubbed a move to either Manchester side.
That would appear to open the door for a move to Paris Saint-Germain, who the player is said to favour, with the French side offering the highest salary.
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Manchester United target Joao Neves (Image credit: Getty Images)
Benfica have previously insisted that Neves would not depart unless his €120million release clause was met, but the club’s model in recent years has been to consistently sell homegrown players for a significant profit.
Neves broke into the Portugal national team set-up last year and was a member of their Euro 2024 squad this summer, playing in their dead rubber group game against Georgia.
Manchester United’s search for a central midfielder now appears to be focusing on PSG’s Uruguayan international Manuel Ugarte, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting that the club have agreed personal terms with 23-year-old, who shares the same agent as Leny Yoro.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
