The 19-year-old worth 100 million who must transform Man United's midfield

João Neves has only been part of Benfica's main squad for a season and a half, but from minute one the controller has effortlessly made us forget his predecessor Enzo Fernández, who left for Chelsea. In his position, Neves is even one of the best in the Portuguese league. Manchester United has been mentioned for some time, but is the youngster ready for a chance at the (sub) top of the Premier League?

“I seriously think that Casemiro only has three games left to play at the top level. He can no longer play at the top level. He needs to stop and move on to another level. He shouldn't do this to himself. He is too good a player to put in such a performance and then be laughed at by Crystal Palace. Casemiro must keep the honor to himself.”

With those merciless and unprecedentedly harsh words, Liverpool legend and Premier League analyst Jamie Carragher discussed the performance of Manchester United controller Casemiro against Crystal Palace (4-0 loss) in early May. The former star of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team had a strong debut season at Old Trafford, but has absolutely failed to impress Carragher and co in the current year. It sounds like he can no longer handle the 'top level'.

Combine the downward trend in Casemiro's performances with the fact that Manchester United wants to undergo a significant transformation of the squad under the new leadership of Jim Ratcliffe, and the conclusion about the future of the Brazilian midfielder is quickly drawn. The lens is out of the car for him at Manchester United. Saudi Arabia is said to be interested in the 32-year-old Casemiro.

Casemiro is under intense fire in Manchester this season.

A metamorphosis of a selection also includes new players. Say who is likely to leave Red Devil replacing it is like looking into a crystal ball. Although there is one defensive midfielder who has been linked to a move to the red part of Manchester for months: João Neves, the nineteen-year-old Portuguese super talent from Benfica. Since the summer of 2023, various English and Portuguese media have been writing about Manchester United's interest in Neves and in view of the busy upcoming transfer summer of Erik ten Hag's (currently) employer, there is a chance that the Mancunians actually knocking on doors in Lisbon has increased.

Thanks to Schmidt

Neves, born in the fishing town of Tavira, was expected to be a footballer from an early age. When he was eight years old, he played for Casa Benfica Tavira, an association where Benfica gives the youngest talents the opportunity to develop near their home. Five years later, at the age of thirteen, Neves played for Benfica Under 15 for the first time.

As Águias they already know that they have a potential star, as Benfica's famous youth academy so often has. In December 2022, when Neves will be eighteen years old, the midfielder will make his debut in the main squad. Roger Schmidt, PSV coach the season before and known for the statement 'Give the cup today to them, to Ajax'sees Neves as a player who is ready for a permanent role in the first team in the short term.

In his first season with Benfica, Neves immediately won the Portuguese championship.

That also turns out to be necessary, because in the winter transfer window of that season Enzo Fernández leaves for Chelsea for 120 million euros and a place becomes available in Schmidt's midfield. Neves did the honors from then on and in Lisbon they have not looked back for a moment. With the very young controller in the starting line-up in the second half of the season, Benfica won its first national title in four years.

“He plays with so much confidence, so much focus. He is very good under pressure, very good on the ball, always available and plays with a lot of courage,” Schmidt praises his pupil. Now, a year and a half after his debut, Neves is part of the furniture of the living room called Benfica. This has already earned the defensive midfielder five caps for Portugal. “In the next ten years he will be one of the most influential players in Europe,” says Roberto Martínez, national coach of Os Navegadoreshis expectations are certainly not hidden.

At the age of nineteen, Neves has already worn the Portugal shirt five times.

David likes to beat Goliath

At Benfica, Neves forms a control duo with Florentino Luís almost every week in Schmidt's 4-2-3-1 formation. The former is particularly praised for his qualities on the ball. Neves regularly drops between the two central defenders, to take care of the first phase of the build-up from there. At a young age he is already one of the best dribblers in the Primeira Liga, as reflected in his percentage of successful dribbles and his amount progressive carriesactions with the ball at the foot that travel at least five meters towards the enemy goal.

But his qualities on the ball do not take away from how good Neves is without the leather on the foot. Despite his relatively small height – Neves is 1.74 meters high – and unfailing build, the Portuguese wins many more duels than he loses, even if those duels are fought in the air. His jumping power and timing make him a more than worthy opponent in head duels, even against considerably taller players.

In addition, Neves can act as a frontman in applying pressure. The Benfica youth product excels at pinning down opponents and, thanks to his good tackle, can often steal the ball from his opponents. He prefers to do this high on the field, in the so-called final third, so that the route to the goal is as short as possible. Neves has not (yet) been assigned much return, as is evident from his four goals and three assists in seventy-five games on behalf of Benfica's first team.

Expensive nose

Given his age, the short period that he has been playing in the main squad and his contract until mid-2028, it remains to be seen whether Benfica will cooperate in a transfer of Neves next summer. He is the pick of Schmidt's selection and why would the German let that pick go? As much as Schmidt wanted to give 'the cup' to Ajax, he wants to keep Neves longer.

And yet there is a real chance that the top talent will make a transfer next summer. Neves' contract has a limited buyout sum. There is no complete clarity about the amount – Fabrizio Romano mentioned a clause of 120 million euros last year, Manchester Evening News wrote this month about an amount of 100 million euros – but it is certain that the lump sum exists. This offers a solution for clubs such as Manchester United.

Next summer, Ten Hag will probably say goodbye to Casemiro and the loaned Sofyan Amrabat will almost certainly return to Fiorentina. Mason Mount was sometimes given the opportunity this season as one of Ten Hag's two controllers, but failed to impress. Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay were on the bench more this season than they would like. The only certainty in the 6th position at Manchester United has been Kobbie Mainoo for some time now, who after an impressive start has now become an indispensable part of the starting line-up. the Red Devils. It means that the former Ajax coach has a spot available for a new defensive midfielder.

One plus one doesn't always equal two and Neves can certainly count on interest from more – and probably currently more successful – clubs than the Premier League's number eight. But no team was and is so emphatically associated with Schmidt's pupil as Manchester United. Let's see if Neves has the 'top level' not to be laughed at by Crystal Palace.

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