Liverpool are expected to make an offer for Benfica midfielder Joao Neves “in the next few days”, according to the Correio da Manha.
The 19-year-old is believed to have impressed Reds scouts, while the club have also gathered more information by asking his Portuguese international teammate Diogo Jota.
Neves won’t be available on the cheap, though, with Benfica said to be holding out for his €120m (£101m) release clause.
Were Arne Slot’s team to pay the buyout fee, it would smash the club’s transfer record that was set when they bought another Benfica player, Darwin Nunez, two years ago.
Neves has plenty of other suitors
Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed that Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have been keeping close tabs on the teenager.
However, it should be pointed out that he has never mentioned Liverpool in connection with Neves, so fans should probably take these claims from Portugal with a very large pinch of salt.
Do Liverpool have the funds to buy Neves?
The short answer is ‘Yes.’ The Reds tabled a bid of £110m for Moises Caicedo last August before they lost out to Chelsea. The fact that they subsequently only paid £16m to sign an alternative in Wataru Endo would suggest that those funds have been kept in reserve. It also indicates that there are no issues when it comes to abiding by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.
There is a big question mark, though, over whether the Merseyside club would invest that much to get Neves. He is a highly-rated young player but he hasn’t realised his potential yet.
For someone who has been hailed as the next big thing, the midfielder‘s numbers for Benfica are pretty mediocre. In 75 senior appearances, Neves has scored 4 goals and provided 3 assists.
