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Benfica president Rui Costa has given Manchester United fresh hope of signing Joao Neves after revealing that the wonderkid doesn't have to be sold for his £101million release clause.
Neves, 19, is a long-term target for United, although the Red Devils are facing strong competition from fellow European giants. Costa also confirmed that Benfica have already received one bid for the talented midfielder, believed to be from Paris Saint-Germain.
For much of the summer, it was claimed that Benfica weren't willing to sell the Portugal international, who made two appearances at Euro 2024, for less than his €120m (£101m) release clause. But Costa has now clarified those reports, suggesting that United and PSG could snap him up for cheaper if their bid is suitable.
"I never said that Joao Neves would only leave for his release clause and therefore, those claims are false," the Portuguese legend explained, as quoted by A Bola. "What I can say in relation to Joao Neves is that there is an offer on the table. That has been in the news in the last days but I'm not going to say where this proposal stands."
Costa then elaborated on the unnamed bid by saying: "There is a proposal on the table which is being evaluated and is being discussed. But at this moment, Joao Neves remains a Benfica player. It's not that I want to hide the ins and outs because I understand that Benfica fans want to know whether Joao will be leaving or not.
"But at this moment, there are ongoing negotiations, so please allow me to be reserved about this subject so we can take care of what will be best outcome for Benfica."
With 75 first-team appearances for Benfica under his belt, Neves is now mainstay in his country's senior international squad. Portugal manager Roberto Martinez believes '100 per cent' that the 19-year-old could play for a club like United, adding on the FIVE podcast: "Everything comes into his stride, the quicker the game, the better the opposition, the better his decisions are."
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Roberto Martinez rates Joao Neves highly
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MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)
Martinez went on to say: "He's an intelligent midfielder. He's a six who can be an eight, he can get into the box, finishing situations, but his work is more about, to always be in the right positions centrally.
"He can receive the ball in any position, very strong with both feet, and he’s got a low sense of balance, allows him to protect the ball really well. someone who uses the short pass more than the long pass, he's still 19. He's a player who plays bigger games than his age."
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