Man Utd One Step Closer to Record WONDERKID Midfielder Signing
Manchester United are one step closer in the race to sign Benfica’s wonderkid midfielder Joao Neves, as U21 Alvaro Fernandez goes the other way on loan until the end of the season.
Manchester United one step closer to sign wonderkid midfielder
Even though the move may be seen as only a development opportunity for the young full-back, Alvaro Fernandez’s loan to Benfica could have implications for Manchester United’s prospective wonderkid midfielder going the other way.
The loan move provides Manchester United the opportunity to build positive relations with Benfica, in a bid to one day sign the talented midfielder.
Joao Neves has a release clause of €120 million, which was also the same for Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea’s record midfielder signing.
However, Manchester United would be reluctant to trigger the release clause like in the case of Enzo Fernandez, as this would mean the club would have to make an up-front payment of that size instead of the preferred method of paying in instalments.
The club would also hope that the transfer fee could be negotiated further, as the talented midfielder has an estimated transfer value of around only €20m.
Joao Neves is a versatile midfielder who can play in any midfield position, including central midfield, defensive midfield, and attacking midfield.
He is known for his excellent ball control, passing range, and ability to read the game. He is also a strong tackler and has a good work rate.
Neves has represented Portugal at various youth levels and made his senior debut in 2019. He has since become a regular member of the national team and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
Even though Benfica recently denied any rumours linking him with a move, the potential remains for the midfielder to sign for Manchester United, similar to when Chelsea acquired Enzo.
Manchester United announce loan departure
Manchester United announced today that U21 full-back Alvaro Fernandez has signed for Benfica on loan until at least the end of the season.
Alvaro Fernandez’s loan is very likely to become permanent according to Fabrizio Romano, revealing the details of the transfer deal to this end.
The deal has a buyout clause for €6m, which becomes permanent if Alvaro starts at least 50% or half of his games at the club.
Man Utd also have a buy-back clause in addition to a sell-on clause, which means they get a percentage and profit from any future sale.
