Bayern Munich keeping tabs on exciting Benfica midfielder

Bayern Munich have looked solid in the midfield over the last few weeks. Thomas Tuchel has used the midfield pairing of Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka during this good run of form for Bayern. At the same time, Joshua Kimmich has been deployed in the right-back position.

Pavlovic looks certain to be part of Bayern’s midfield plans for next season. However, the senior German midfielders are facing an uncertain future. Kimmich has been linked with a move away from Bavaria, while Goretzka is attracting interest from Juventus.

Bayern are expected to sign a holding midfielder in the summer. They may have to look for another midfield addition if more than one senior midfielders end up leaving Munich. To be prepared for such a situation, Die Roten are keeping tabs on several midfielders in Europe. They are one of the several clubs that are keeping tabs on one of the exciting midfield talents in Liga Portugal.

According to Ojogo (via iMiaSanMia), Bayern are keeping a close eye on the situation of Joao Neves at Benfica. The Bavarian club will face stiff competition for him since the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping tabs on the Portuguese midfielder.

Neves will be an expensive signing in the summer since the release clause in his contract is worth €120 million. Benfica often ends up getting significant fees for their highly-rate young players. They sold Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea in January 2023 for £106.8 million. With several clubs showing interest, Neves may also end up leaving Benfica for a similar fee.

The 19-year-old Portuguese international is an all-action midfielder. He works hard out of possession to win the ball. Despite his diminutive stature, he packs a punch while contesting duels and tackles to regain possession. He is very effective on the ball, making him a complete midfielder. Neves’ impressive qualities in and out of possession have made him one of the highly-rated young midfielders in Europe.

The 19-year-old will be a good addition to Bayern’s squad. However, Die Roten cannot afford to blow away the majority of their budget on a young midfielder. They have to address several areas of the squad in the summer. From Neves’ perspective, it will be better for him to stay at Benfica for one more season before taking the next big step in his career.

Bayern have been strongly linked with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi to strengthen the holding midfield position in the squad. They will face strong competition from Arsenal for the Spanish midfielder. Zubimendi will fit more into Die Roten’s budget than Neves since his release clause is €60 million.