According to reports in Spain, Joao Neves is likely to be signed by Man Utd instead of Barcelona, with credit given to his agent Jorge Mendes.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 27.7% stake in the club from the Glazers earlier this year has paved the way for a summer of transformation for the Red Devils.
Ratcliffe and INEOS now have control of the football operation as part of the agreement. They aim to revamp the recruitment department, while also investing funds into the club’s infrastructure.
Omar Berrada will join as the club’s new CEO from arch-rivals Man City in the summer, while Southampton’s Jason Wilcox recently arrived as the new technical director at Old Trafford.
But Ratcliffe is still waiting for another major piece of his Man Utd jigsaw with Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth remaining on gardening leave as the Red Devils try to agree a fee to make him their new sporting director.
Ashworth’s arrival will complement Ratcliffe’s elite recruitment team as he gets to work identifying the best young talent in Europe rather than players who have already fulfilled their potential.
A number of Man Utd players will be moved to free up wages and funds for new signings with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen those believed to be for sale.
And now Spanish publication Nacional insists Man Utd already know who they want to bring to Old Trafford in central midfield with Benfica’s Neves their main target.
The report adds that the Portuguese international’s agent, Mendes, is “taking” him to Man Utd for €80m (£68m) “with nothing Barca can do”. Barcelona are ‘unwilling’ to pay their €80m reserve price as Mendes attempts to sell Neves to a ‘much stronger club’ than Benfica.
And now Man Utd ‘intend’ to buy Neves this summer as Casemiro’s ‘old Trafford days are numbered’ and Barcelona ‘won’t be his next adventure’.
Former CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs recently revealed the latest news on Casemiro and Eriksen’s future at Man Utd as the Red Devils look to make room for new players in their squad.
Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “The first thing I have to say is that the midfielder, at least in that position, will be dependent on Casemiro if he leaves. “There is strong Saudi interest. “Christian Eriksen has already said that he is not satisfied with his playing time, so he might as well be extroverted. We know there will be interest in Scott McTominay, but Manchester United value him. In recent periods, however, he has also been linked to various clubs.
“So obviously Manchester United will look to strengthen that part of the midfield if the departure allows them to generate squad space, wage space and money to do so.”
