By Willow Austin
Published on 2024-05-28 21:58:59
Pep Guardiola will add more talents to his squad to be in a position to compete again next season, and a £102 million rated midfielder has been identified as one of his targets this summer.
The City boss has worked with many talented football players throughout his managerial career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and presently at Manchester City; therefore, he is said to be the right manager for Benfica midfielder Joao Neves.
The youngster has been described as one of the most brilliant midfielders with the potential to develop into a world-class player in the nearest future. He has become a target for many European giants, including Manchester City.
According to CaughtOffside, Joao Neves has been identified as the potential replacement for Bernardo Silva who will likely leave the Premier League champions in the summer.
Silva was closed to leaving Man City last summer, but the unwillingness of Pep Guardiola and the club to entertain any transfer deal forced him to jettison the idea of playing elsewhere. However, 12 months after, he seems to have determined to seek new challenge elsewhere.
The report says Pep Guardiola is already preparing for life without the Portuguese and has shown interest in Joao Neves, Lucas Paqueta as well as Paris Saint-Germain’s Xavi Simons as Bernardo replacement.
19-year-old Neves has become an important player for Benfica. He started 48 matches in his 54 appearances for the Portuguese team across all competitions this season.
What Bernardo Silva Said About Joao Neves
Bernardo Silva, who is one of the biggest fans of the young Portuguese star, once told the newsmen that he would like to see Neves playing for Manchester City in the future. The Manchester City midfielder claimed that he would not hesitate to bring the youngster to the Etihad Stadium if he had the power to do so.
“If I can, I’ll make a move for Joao Neves to go to Man City instead of Man United, of course,” Bernardo said in November 2023.
