This is probably PSG’s big move of the summer… while waiting for its future striker. The capital club has just announced the official transfer of João Neves from Benfica. Cost of the operation: €60 million (+ €10M in bonuses). As you have known for several weeks now, the Portuguese midfielder had become Luis Enrique’s top priority in this sector of the game for this summer transfer window. “Paris Saint-Germain is pleased to announce the transfer of João Neves. The 19-year-old midfielder has signed a 5-year contract with the club”specifies the press release from the Parisian club.
Negotiations lasted a long time between the two clubs, due to the Euro in particular, despite the good relations between the management of Aguias and Luis Campos, and the recent affairs (Gonçalo Ramos, Juan Bernat, Julian Draxler). PSG finally won the case, without paying the €120 million release clause of the international (9 caps), who signed a 5-season contract in Paris, until June 2029.
João Neves preferred PSG to Manchester United
In these discussions, the reigning French champion even managed to get rid of one of its unwanted players in the person of Renato Sanches. The midfielder, loaned to Roma last year, will return to the club he trained, which he left in 2016 to join Bayern Munich. This argument undoubtedly weighed in the negotiations, especially since the presence of other major European clubs, Manchester United in the lead, could have tipped this transfer in another direction.
João Neves’ desire to join PSG also played a role. He wanted to take the step by coming to France, to a club where he already knows many of his compatriots with whom he plays in the national team (Danilo, Ramos, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha), in addition to some Portuguese speakers (Brazilians Marquinhos, Beraldo and Moscardo). In recent days, the 19-year-old even refused an extension from Benfica to facilitate his transfer to Paris, where he will see his emoluments explode.
“We are delighted to welcome João Neves to the Paris Saint-Germain family. João is one of the most talented players in Portugal and on the international scene. He was so passionate about joining Paris Saint-Germain and determined to fight for the jersey – something we expect from all our players. We continue to build a fantastic young team at Paris Saint-Germain – based on teamwork, talent and collective spirit – which is the foundation of our Club’s great future.”declared PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi.
