Man City overtake Man Utd for midfielder they believe is ‘ready’ for Premier League leap

Manchester City are currently ahead of rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, according to a report.

The 19-year-old has taken his chance in Benfica’s first team since the big-money January departure of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea and has established himself as a regular under head coach Roger Schmidt.

Neves featured 19 times for the Portuguese giants in all competitions during the second half of last season and has since started eight of his 11 appearances this term, including five Primeira Liga starts and two outings in the Champions League group stage.

The teenager’s impressive start to the new campaign with Benfica have been rewarded with his first senior call-up to Roberto Martinez’s Portugal squad ahead of Euro 2024 qualifiers against Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina this month.

Neves is also understood to have caught the eye of Man United, with a recent report claiming that the Red Devils sent scouts to watch the youngster feature in Benfica’s 1-0 win away against Estoril in the Primeira Liga last weekend.

Erik ten Hag’s is believed to be keen to bolster his squad with a few fresh faces in the winter window following a poor start to the new season, with a new midfielder, winger and centre-back high on his list or priorities.

However, according to 90min, Man City are currently leading the race for Neves’s signature having already been keeping tabs on the midfielder for some time.

The report adds that the Citizens believe the teenager would be ready to make the next step in his career and move to England.

Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund have also been credited with an interest in Neves, who is under contract at Benfica until the summer of 2028 and is understood to possess a £103m release clause.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to delve into the summer transfer market to bolster his midfield options following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan, with the treble winners opting to spend around £25m on Mateo Kovacic and approximately £53m on Matheus Nunes.

Both Kovacic and Nunes have been battling for starts in the middle of the pitch alongside star lynchpin Rodri, while 18-year-old Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva have also occupied a deeper midfield role in recent week.

Kalvin Phillips, meanwhile, is once again struggling for regular first-team minutes at the Etihad Stadium, and there have been suggestions that the England international could be moved on in the January transfer window.

Should Phillips seek pasture new in 2024 either permanently or on loan, Man City could look to step up their interest in fellow deep-lying midfielder Neves, although prising him away from Benfica could prove challenging considering the Portuguese club’s reluctance to part ways with another star player.