Coach hails £86m and £104m Manchester United targets with potential to become ‘world class’

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Benfica coach Roger Schmidt is backing Joao Neves and Antonio Silva to become the latest ‘world-class players’ to emerge from Lisbon with Premier League giants Manchester United keen on the Portugal internationals.

With the Red Devils sending scouts to Portugal on a rather regular basis of late, the phrase ‘two birds with one stone’ comes to mind.

Not only are Manchester United taking the chance to watch Joao Neves in the flesh – the 19-year-old seemingly emerging as one of the club’s priority targets – they are also keeping very close tabs on a stylish young centre-half who could yet be a major part of Erik ten Hag’s planned defensive re-shuffle in 2024.

Manchester United eye Benfica raid

Fabrizio Romano, in conversation with The United Stand this week, spoke about Man United’s interest in both players, Silva and Inacio continuing Benfica’s proud tradition of developing some of the most exciting up-and-coming talents in Europe.

“The players make a leap every year,” head coach Schmidt tells Sportschau, Benfica sharing Manchester United’s passion for turning homegrown prospects into senior stars.

“This is an important part of the club’s DNA. Players like Antonio Silva and Joao Neves, who have just come through the youth ranks and are now first-team players for me, weren’t even known when I arrived here in 2022.

“Perhaps there is no club in Europe that has the same success in training world-class players.”

Joao Neves and Antonio Silva

There is little doubt that Silva and Neves, aged 20 and 19 respectively, have the raw potential to become two of the best in their position anywhere in Europe.

Silva, however, has an £86 million release clause in his contract, while Neves’ stands at £104 million.

And Manchester United may be about to discover that, when it comes to player sales, Benfica are no pushovers. As Liverpool and Chelsea found out when negotiating deals for Darwin Nunez and Enzo Fernandez, it is often a case of ‘pay the release clause or walk away’ when it comes discussing Benfica’s prized assets.