As Manchester United show up as contenders to sign João Neves from Benfica, we get to see two interesting stories in the Portuguese media today.
One of them comes from O Jogo, and says the Eagles are taking steps to give the midfielder a new contract.
João Neves had renewed his deal in August, but is having a great start to the season, which draws the interest from many clubs. Manchester United are said to be ‘in first place’ to get him signed.
Benfica then want to give him a pay rise and bring his release clause from €120m to €150m. The talks with his agent Jorge Mendes are on, and there’s optimism that a deal will be reached for him to sign the new contract at the start of 2024.
Meanwhile, as Correio da Manhã also feature a story on Neves, they claim the player ‘closes the door’ to a January exit. It’s said he believes he hasn’t reached his full potential yet and believes he’s in the right place to evolve.
According to the newspaper, he already told Mendes he wants to stay at least until the end of the season, while Manchester United are the ‘most committed’ club to sign him.