Manchester United are preparing an opening offer for a player they have earmarked to replace Casemiro, according to reports.
Brazilian star Casemiro joined the Old Trafford outfit in summer 2022 in a shock move from Real Madrid for £60million, and he is thought to earn around £375,000-a-week in wages at the Red Devils.
While his first term in Manchester was largely successful, helping the club to a Carabao Cup title along the way, his performances in 2023-24 have been far from his best.
He has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia over the course of the season as a result, however a particularly poor showing against Crystal Palace on Monday saw those calls ratchet up, with Jamie Carragher even suggesting he hang up his boots.
As such, and with new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to oversee a much-needed revamp of the squad, United are reportedly set to make a first bid for a midfield wonderkid they have already been linked with.
Casemiro endured one of the worst performances of his career as Manchester United were thrashed 4-0 by Crystal Palace on Monday night
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) is set to oversee a revamp of the Manchester United squad in the coming transfer windows
Benfica starlet Joao Neves has become one of football’s most sought-after prospects
Portuguese outlet Record reports that United are preparing to test the nerve of Benfica for their highly-rated midfield talent Joao Neves.
The young Portuguese starlet has a £105m clause – the fee Benfica got for Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea in January 2023 – but it is though United will be looking to try and persuade them to sell for a lower fee.
It was ironically Fernandez who Neves replaced in the side 16 months ago, but the 19-year-old has kept hold of that spot ever since, and is a mainstay of Roger Schimdt’s outfit.
The Lisbon-based club also boast another potential United target in the shape of Antonio Silva.
The centre back went to Qatar with Portugal for the 2022 World Cup and, like Neves, has continued to garner widespread praise and is another thought to be on the shortlist of many of Europe’s powerhouses this summer.
It is however thought that midfielder Neves is more of a priority for United, with Record adding that the Premier League outfit has been closely monitoring both players for several months.
At United Neves could form a partnership with emerging teenage star Kobbie Mainoo, providing the Red Devils with a midfield core that could play together for a decade or more.
Neves made his Champions League debut aged 18 against Club Brugge in March 2023, providing an assist for their fifth goal.
Since receiving his first professional contract aged 16, Neves has become key for Benfica
He could partner fellow teenager Kobbie Mainoo for a decade or more at Manchester United
He began to draw the attention of scouts and his compatriots in winning Primeira Liga’s midfielder of the month for four consecutive months between September and December.
These performances brought him a well-deserved international call-up, coming off the bench for the Quinas in a 5-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in October, and he has since gone on to earn four more caps.
His maturity and technical ability brought praise from various stars, with Bruno Fernandes saying: ‘He is an excellent player and an excellent kid. He will have a bright future wherever he goes.’
Neves signed a six-year contract with Benfica back in December 2022, however, meaning that even if they were to trigger his contract, Manchester United would have to pull out the stops to convince the teenager of a move.
