Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the signing of midfielder Joao Neves from Benfica for a fee of €70m.
Neves, 19, had been heavily linked with a move away from Benfica for most of the calendar year, with Manchester United often touted as the leading suitors.
Benfica had repeatedly stressed a desire to receive Neves’ full €120m release clause but went on to accept an offer of €70m from PSG, who confirmed the teenage midfielder’s arrival on Monday.
“It is a great pride for me to join Paris Saint-Germain, a very ambitious club,” Neves said after signing a five-year contract. “I will give everything to help my teammates, grow in this fantastic Club and win many titles.”
PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi added: “We are delighted to welcome Joao Neves to the Paris Saint-Germain family. Joao is one of the most talented players in Portugal and the world.
“He joins Paris Saint-Germain with great passion and determination to fight for our jersey, which is what 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.”
Benfica president Rui Costa recently admitted his disappointment at losing Neves but confirmed the fee on offer made it impossible to reject PSG’s approach.
“I understand the fans’ criticism because their bitterness is mine,” Costa told A Bola. “I have to form squads and ensure that Benfica can win titles and when you lose a player of Joao’s quality, who was trained here, I feel even sadder about it. I’ve known him since I was 10 years old and it’s hard to see him leave.
“People have to understand that we postponed this transfer for a long time, we clearly rejected the first proposals, but we reached certain moments and numbers that made the transfer inevitable. Funds of €70m are not possible for the club to give up.”
While United may have missed out on Neves’ signature, the move could still work in their favour as they look to lure another midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, away from PSG.
Reports from France last week claimed PSG would be open to loaning Ugarte if they got a deal for Neves over the line.
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