June 9th 2024.
At a recent press conference for Portugal's national football team, Bernardo Silva spoke out about his desire for fellow player Joao Neves to join him at Manchester City instead of Manchester United. The 19-year-old midfielder has been a hot topic in the transfer market, with United reportedly making a £51m bid for him. However, Silva has made it clear that he would love to see Neves at Man City alongside him.
It's not surprising that Neves is a sought-after player, given his impressive performance last season. But Silva, who has won the Premier League six times, believes that Man City would be the better fit for his international teammate. He said, "I told him to go to Manchester City! It's not easy. He's a player who, due to the success he had last season, has many clubs that want him."
While Neves has a release clause of £105m, his club Benfica may be open to considering offers around £85m, especially with the player set to participate in Euro 2024. Despite Manchester United being seen as the front-runner, Silva is hoping that Neves will join him at Man City instead.
Silva also mentioned that he doesn't need to convince Neves to make the move, as his talent and work ethic speak for themselves. "Let him make his decision, let it be the best for him," Silva stated. "If he continues with this energy, he has a very good future ahead of him." It's clear that Silva has a lot of admiration for Neves and would love to see him on his team.
But not everyone shares Silva's sentiment. Ex-Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic believes it may be too soon for Neves to leave Benfica, a club he also played for. "Joao is already at a big club at this point," Matic said. "I'm sure his future at Benfica will be very good. I think it's too early to leave, but of course, in the end, it's always his decision."
Neves has made a total of 75 appearances for Benfica, including 55 in the 2023-24 season. He has also become a regular for the Portuguese national team, with six caps since his debut last October. His talent and potential have not gone unnoticed, with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes even stating that Neves is ready for a "big jump" to a top European club.
It remains to be seen where Neves will end up, but one thing is for sure, there is a lot of interest in the young midfielder. As for Silva, he will continue to focus on his own success at Manchester City, where he hopes to see Neves by his side in the future.
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