{"id":635746,"date":"2024-03-20T11:29:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=635746"},"modified":"2024-03-20T11:29:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:29:21","slug":"who-is-joao-neves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2024\/03\/20\/who-is-joao-neves\/","title":{"rendered":"Joao Neves: Portugal\u2019s Next Midfield General in the Making"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A 19-year-old midfielder by the name of Joao Neves is setting the Primeira Liga alight. The highly touted youngster is attracting interest from major European clubs, and could be set for a transfer soon, but what should fans expect from this player?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Who is Joao Neves?<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Top estimated transfer values*, \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf9 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PrimeiraLiga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#PrimeiraLiga<\/a><br \/>1\u20e3 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AntonioSilva?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#AntonioSilva<\/a> \u20ac115m<br \/>2\u20e3 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/JoaoNeves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#JoaoNeves<\/a> \u20ac96m<br \/>3\u20e3 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoncaloInacio?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#GoncaloInacio<\/a> \u20ac87m<br \/>*As per <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CIES_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@CIES_Football<\/a> model \ud83d\udcca With add-ons &amp; 100% of transfer rights, not considering buy-out clauses<br \/>Top \ud83d\udd1f for 6\u20e36\u20e3 leagues \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/70tZ7yEj3H\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/70tZ7yEj3H<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sw3Rmh042Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/sw3Rmh042Y<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CIES_Football\/status\/1770389954473931229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Key Player Already<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Benfica youth prospect, Neves has been in the Portuguese outlet&#8217;s pipeline for all his career. He joined the first team in January during the 2022\/23 season and made 17 league appearances, as well as three UEFA Champions League appearances. For country, he has three caps so far, making his debut just 19 days after his 19th birthday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Enzo Fernandez&#8217;s departure in January of 2023 opened up a regular first-team spot in midfield, which the youngster snatched up quickly. As a result, the current season has been his breakout. So far, he has appeared in all 25 of Benfica&#8217;s league games, and all 10 of their European games. He is a crucial part of his team&#8217;s midfield already at such a young age. His performances have helped his side mount a title challenge following their title win last year, and he&#8217;ll be hoping to finish this season on a high again.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Player Profile<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although primarily a defensive midfielder, Neves has made appearances in various roles across the pitch, including in attacking midfield and out wide. A large chunk of his minutes has come from a deeper, conducting role though, which better suits his play style. In Roger Schmidt&#8217;s preferred 4-2-3-1 set-up, he often fills a role in one of the two defensive midfield slots.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Neves is a press-resistant, high-IQ midfielder and a leader in possession, despite his young age. He likes to get on the ball as much as possible, orchestrating his team&#8217;s build-up and spraying the ball across the pitch. Only one other player in the league has had more touches of the ball than the number 87 this season. He also leads his team for passes completed, both short and long, and passes received from his teammates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2024\/02\/23\/replace-thomas-tuchel-bayern\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Potential Candidates To Replace Thomas Tuchel<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In-possession qualities are not the only thing the 19-year-old can bring to a team. He displays a willingness to press and has a reputation for being aggressive in the duel, which is impressive considering his height is just 5 ft 9. His 37 tackles won is the most out of his teammates in the league. That includes a team-leading 11 tackles in the final third as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Neves is the kind of player that would thrive in a team that takes care in its build-up phase. He possesses the skills and mentality of a midfield leader and deep-lying playmaker, and has shown shades of Manchester City&#8217;s Rodri in his playstyle. The latter is undoubtedly his team&#8217;s most important midfielder, if not their most important player as a whole. Their drop in quality in his absence was evident. In the right environment with optimal development, we could see Neves fulfil a similar level of responsibility in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Interested Clubs and Rumours<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A youth prospect displaying such maturity already will be on the radar of most European clubs out there. Neves has <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1758085271222976643\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">claimed<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0that he &#8220;can&#8217;t promise anything for next season&#8221;, and several clubs have reportedly been in touch since January. However, Jorge Mendes revealed in an exclusive interview with\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.record.pt\/futebol\/futebol-nacional\/liga-betclic\/benfica\/detalhe\/jorge-mendes-joao-neves-e-antonio-silva-vao-ficar-no-benfica-ate-final-da-epoca-de-certeza-absoluta?ref=Benfica_DestaquesPrincipais\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Record<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0that &#8220;there were proposals&#8221; for the 2004-born talent, &#8220;but the door is not open&#8221;. &#8220;They will stay at Benfica until the end of the season, it&#8217;s 100% guaranteed&#8230; then Rui Costa will decide what to do&#8221;. The door was promptly shut for a January departure, but for this Summer, anything could happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Manchester United are one of the clubs interested and have\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1724534325746749519\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">reportedly<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0sent scouts to track the 19-year-old&#8217;s progress in Portugal. Bruno Fernandes\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1725965437614346261\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">spoke on this<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, describing Neves as &#8220;top quality&#8221;, with a &#8220;great future&#8221; and that he &#8220;would love to have him at United&#8221;. There were rumours of a deal nearing an agreement with Manchester United, but Benfica were quick to knock them down with an <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1747279611476521376\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">official statement<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, claiming that &#8220;under no circumstances has Benfica started talks with Manchester United or any other club about Jo\u00e3o \u2014 nor does it intend to do so.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2024\/03\/14\/chelsea-move-leny-yoro\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Chelsea Eyeing Summer Move For Ligue 1 Sensation Despite Manchester United Links<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Not far from Old Trafford, another club linked is Manchester City. Another Portuguese teammate Bernardo Silva <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1726738231469957368\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">spoke<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> on the rumours stating: &#8220;If I can, I will pull strings to Jo\u00e3o Neves to go to Man City&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>How Much Would Neves Cost?<\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To whoever joins the race for Neves&#8217; signature, the price Benfica will likely demand won&#8217;t be cheap. The last time the Portuguese outlet sold a midfield wonderkid wasn&#8217;t long ago &#8211; Chelsea had to pay\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/football\/news\/11668\/12799395\/enzo-fernandez-to-chelsea-blues-agree-premier-league-record-105m-transfer-deal-for-benfica-midfielder\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">a British record fee<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> of \u00a3106.8m at the time for Fernandez. Fabrizio Romano <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1726607826175287764\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">reveals<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> that Neves has a release clause of similar value in his contract. His contract expires in 2028 so club president, Rui Costa, has plenty of leverage to negotiate a high transfer fee.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 19-year-old midfielder by the name of Joao Neves is setting the Primeira Liga alight. The highly touted youngster is attracting interest from major European clubs, and could be set for a transfer soon, but what should fans expect from this player? Who is Joao Neves? Top estimated transfer values*, \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf9 #PrimeiraLiga1\u20e3 #AntonioSilva \u20ac115m2\u20e3 #JoaoNeves [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5048,"featured_media":637664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[687,31802,100,36,368],"class_list":["post-635746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","tag-benfica","tag-joao-neves","tag-manchester-city","tag-manchester-united","tag-primeira-liga"],"modified_by":"Alex Richards, LWOF Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5048"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}