Manchester United have improved bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate rejected - Reports
Manchester United's bid for Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal teammate Joao Neves has reportedly been rejected. Benfica are unwilling to let go of the young midfielder for a cheaper price.
The Red Devils have been interested in Neves for a while now. As per Metro, they saw a €60 million bid rejected last summer. As per Correio de Manha, their increased bid worth €70 million has also been rejected. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) also made a similar bid and it was rejected as well.
Neves' contract with Benfica, which expires in 2028, has a €120 million release clause and the club are unwilling to budge too much from that price. This is the same price the Portuguese side sold Enzo Fernandez for to Chelsea in January 2023.
Neves, 19, is currently competing at UEFA Euro 2024 with Portugal. He featured for just two minutes in their 3-0 win over Turkey before starting the dead rubber against Georgia, which ended in a 2-0 defeat. The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side will now take on France in the quarter-finals on Friday, July 5.
Manchester United and PSG have put in bids but the youngster has also garnered interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. He came through Benfica's academy and has made 75 senior appearances for them, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
Manchester United in talks to sign Bayern Munich star: Reports
As per Metro, Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich defender Mathijs de Ligt this summer. They are in talks with the player's camp and the club for a potential move.
Raphael Varane left Old Trafford upon the expiration of his contract last summer. The futures of Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are still up in the air. Hence, the Red Devils are looking to strengthen their defense. They have also identified Jarrad Branthwaite as a target but are unwilling to meet Everton's £70 million asking price.
De Ligt is likely to cost around £40 million with his contract with Bayern expiring in 2027. Since arriving from Juventus in 2022, De Ligt has made 73 appearances for the German giants and also contributed five goals and two assists.