Manchester City have a strong Portuguese contingent in their squad.
Specifically, Pep Guardiola has Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes and Joao Cancelo in his ranks at the Manchester club.
All of those players were selected to represent Portugal in the recent 2024 European Championship, helping Roberto Martinez’s side get to the quarter-final stage before being knocked out by France on penalties.
With the tournament now over and the focus shifting to the summer transfer window, some behind-the-scenes information has emerged regarding another Portuguese player the City quartet shared the dressing room with at the Euros.
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Man City still eyeing Joao Neves move amid serious PSG interest
According to a recent report from O Jogo, City are still keeping an eye on Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, who has a release clause in his contract worth €120m (£100m) despite Paris Saint-Germain recently taking steps to land a deal for the Portuguese international.
Described as a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig on his X account, Neves has made 75 senior appearances for Benfica at the age of 19 after working his way through the youth ranks at the Portuguese club.
City must really appreciate Neves
Having made the joint-highest number of appearances (33) for Benfica in the Primeira Liga last season, the teenager racked up more passes into the final third of the pitch (177), successful tackles (53) and blocks (44) than any other player at the club.
This led to the midfielder, who Silva said he would urge to join him at City, being included in the Portugal squad for the Euros, although he only made two appearances throughout the tournament.
Despite PSG’s eagerness to sign Neves and the substantial fee it would take to trigger his release clause, the fact that City are reportedly still keeping an eye on the situation shows how much they must admire him and think he could be a valuable addition to their squad.
