MANCHESTER UNITED have held talks with Benfica over the signing of wonderkid Joao Neves.
Dubbed Bruno Fernandes 2.0, United hold a very strong interest in the 18-year-old.
GettyMan Utd have held discussions over signing Joao Neves[/caption]
Benfica are aware of the interest from the Red Devils.
And SunSport understands the two clubs have held some discussions over a possible deal.
However, United may need to wait 12 months to land Neves, whose dream is to play in the Premier League.
The Portuguese outfit are not planning to sell Neves until next summer.
Although if Benfica are knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage they may be willing to sell in January.
Chelsea are also interested in the teenager and made an approach a couple of days ago.
But last winters Enzo Fernandez transfer saga – which eventually saw the Blues land the World Cup winner for a then Premier League record of £107million – has left a bitter taste for Benfica.
As a result, the Eagles are reluctant to engage in talks with Mauricio Pochettino‘s side.
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Neves became a regular star for Benfica last season, appearing 17 times in the Liga Portugal and scoring one goal after becoming a starter for the club in the final six games of the season.
He has also started two of their three league games this season as they look to retain the title.
Standing at 5ft 9in, Neves is strong in a number of key midfield metrics including tackling, blocking and progressive passing.
The Portugal Under-21 star has an estimated market value of £8.6m.
United have looked lightweight in midfield this season, prompting them to reportedly look at a number of options before Friday’s transfer deadline.
These include Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Erik ten Hag is also in the market for a left-sided defender following injuries to Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane.
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