Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City were all linked with moves for Portugal wonderkid Joao Neves . However, the 19-year-old midfielder has now been confirmed as a PSG player , signing for a fee of $64m (£50m/€58m) on a five-year contract.
Neves has become the first major signing of the post- Kylian Mbappe era at the Ligue 1 giant, though Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho, who The Independent claimed was high on the radar of Liverpool earlier this week, is closing in on a $49m (£39m/€45m) move to PSG as well, according to Sky Germany .
"Joao Neves has the quality and the mindset to go really far," Liverpool striker Diogo Jota , who has played with Neves at international level, told Goal this summer. Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, another Portugal star, is also a big fan of the teenager, who had a release clause worth $132m (£103m/€120m) written into his Benfica contract.
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"If I can, I will pull strings to Joao Neves to go to Man City," Silva said a few weeks back, via The Metro . "I’d like to see Joao joining City instead of Man United, of course."
Liverpool could do with signing a high-level holding midfield player but someone more experienced would represent less of a risk. Arne Slot has opened up on transfers today, highlighting how difficult it is to get deals over the line for players who represent substantial upgrades on what Liverpool already has.
"The bar is really high for new signings because we have so many good players," Slot told a group of reporters in the USA, including from the ECHO . "It is not so easy to first find a player to meet those standards. Then we have to find an agreement with them, so it is not always easy to find a player who can help us.
"Richard is working hard on it and let’s see what comes from this. If he’s not here with us then we speak on the phone many times. My main focus has been on working with the team and preparing them in the best possible way for the first Premier League game. He’s working on things and he keeps me updated.
"A club like Liverpool always keeps its eye open to see what’s available, players who can strengthen the squad and that is what we - Richard mostly — but me as well are looking to do. That is not particular to one position. We constantly evaluate the squad where can we do something and what we have."
Liverpool.com says: Neves is a top talent and PSG will need to be patient with him. For the teenager, it is a bit of a risk to move to a club that doesn't have the best record when it comes to bringing the best out of its big-money buys.
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