Joao Neves | signed for PSG

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FOG said:
I respect your opinion, but where is the proof! Mainoo, had a debut season in the hardest league in the world, he kept a ridiculously high standard for a young lad, played, and was man of the match in the FA cup final, up against Rodri and co. He then went on to play well in the Euros, while Neves couldn't get in an ordinary Portugal Midfield . Sorry, there is nothing to say this lad is special at the moment. United do not need him.
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I don't understand what you mean by 'where is the proof'. He is known all around the football world as one of the best talents in the world, being extremely complete with phenomenal technique, intelligence and press resistance. There is everything to say that this lad is special. Just because you haven't watched him play other than a few minutes for Portugal where he didn't impress doesn't change that fact. Similarly to Mainoo, you don't need to watch a lot of games to know he is a special talent. Joao Neves is better defensively, better passer, better ball carrier, quicker and more mobile. I'd say their dribbling and press resistance are equally good.

By the way, how is Palhinha - Vitinha - Bruno an ordinary midfield? Vitinha is one of the best CMs in the world and Bruno is one of the best number 10s in the world. From a footballing perspective then Neves is much better than Palhinha, but it is about midfield balance. I can guarantee that Mainoo would not start in that Portugal midfield, regardless of how talented he is.
 
Devil_forever said:
Can't we just hijack this deal instead of paying similar to Ugarte?
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Difficult because it's 60M EUR paid up front + 10M add ons + Renato for this guy, that PSG paid. I think we approached Benfica about Neves but preferred to do the deal in instalments. As per most reports United are trying to get Ugarte for around 50-55M Euros (That too probably in instalments) with some of that being in add-ons as well. There are a couple things that didn't work for us with Neves unfortunately (Overall value of the transfer, timing of payments), so Ugarte at a sensible price is still very good business.
 
So they got him for 50M pounds? Less than what we paid for Mason fecking Mount?

I need to leave this thread for the sake of my mental sanity, because I'm fecking sure we will end up paying similar amount for Ugarte. FFS
 
PSG and Benfica do a lot of business together, they must have exchanged half a dozen loans in the last 4 seasons + PSG signing G.Ramos.
Shouldn't underestimate that sort of good relationship probably protect deals from "hijacks" but I don't think we had any real reports (since transfer season started) United was interested in signing Neves anyway.

Also QSI has a minority stake in Braga and Paris did business with Porto and Sporting. They're probably in excellent standing with Portuguese clubs...

Edit : Besides Jorge Mendes is orchestrating the whole thing. Don't think he was interested in shorting Nasser on Neves and we still need him to land Ugarte if we pursue that deal.
 
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When we come up against the likes of Brighton/Brentford and get pressed to oblivion, with our midfielders not being able to keep the ball to save their lives, we will come to regret this.
 
Highfather_24 said:
When we come up against the likes of Brighton/Brentford and get pressed to oblivion, with our midfielders not being able to keep the ball to save their lives, we will come to regret this.
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One single player can't save anyone from that situation. That needs all the squad to move and receive and pass the ball.
 
There is absolutely nothing to suggest he’s any better than Ugarte. In fact there’s plenty to suggest he’s not especially if you look at how bang average he was in the euros and how outstanding Ugarte was.
Sure he might turn out to be better as he develops and there are definitely many differences to their game but if you asked me who I would take right now to best help OUR squad, there’s no doubt it would not be Neves.

Also seems iffy that he has a €100m+ release, Benfica are hard bargainers usually and yet he goes for €60m guaranteed. Either a Mendes favour or some under the table accounting
 
Adamsk7 said:
There is absolutely nothing to suggest he’s any better than Ugarte. In fact there’s plenty to suggest he’s not especially if you look at how bang average he was in the euros and how outstanding Ugarte was.
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There's a lot to suggest that. Check their fbref stats side by side in the previous page, and their datamb charts. Its night and day. Eye test backs it up too.
 
Adamsk7 said:
There is absolutely nothing to suggest he’s any better than Ugarte. In fact there’s plenty to suggest he’s not especially if you look at how bang average he was in the euros and how outstanding Ugarte was.
Sure he might turn out to be better as he develops and there are definitely many differences to their game but if you asked me who I would take right now to best help OUR squad, there’s no doubt it would not be Neves.

Also seems iffy that he has a €100m+ release, Benfica are hard bargainers usually and yet he goes for €60m guaranteed. Either a Mendes favour or some under the table accounting
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Or they simply don't rate him as highly as many on the caf seem to. Stats aside I don't get the fawning.

Having Neves and Mainoo as a double pivot is a recipe for getting steamrolled, and those who say we can't play out of a press with Ugarte clearly haven't seem him play.
 
dinostar77 said:
Also we didn't stand a chance as PSG are paying the €60mil upfront. That's what's caused the price to drop from benfica's €100mil at the start of the window.

According to a Portuguese journalist Duncan Castles interviewed, apparently we went in at start of window via Mendes but as we could only do installments Benfica insisted on €100mil.
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You don't get from 100 to 70 by adjusting payment plans. In that case they'd just take the promised 100 and sell United's debt to a bank for more than 70, the interest rate would be insane.
 
Oddly glad we kept away from this one. I really like the lad but it has more to do with his work rate and discipline for a young midfielder than any outstanding technique.
The price was and is too prohibitive for me. Now I can only hope we don't do the dumber thing and finance PSG's move by busting the same amount on a player the world had forgotten existed.
 
Grand Vizier said:
I don't understand what you mean by 'where is the proof'. He is known all around the football world as one of the best talents in the world, being extremely complete with phenomenal technique, intelligence and press resistance. There is everything to say that this lad is special. Just because you haven't watched him play other than a few minutes for Portugal where he didn't impress doesn't change that fact. Similarly to Mainoo, you don't need to watch a lot of games to know he is a special talent. Joao Neves is better defensively, better passer, better ball carrier, quicker and more mobile. I'd say their dribbling and press resistance are equally good.

By the way, how is Palhinha - Vitinha - Bruno an ordinary midfield? Vitinha is one of the best CMs in the world and Bruno is one of the best number 10s in the world. From a footballing perspective then Neves is much better than Palhinha, but it is about midfield balance. I can guarantee that Mainoo would not start in that Portugal midfield, regardless of how talented he is.
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By Proof, I mean what has he achieved, nothing in my book, completely schooled by Varela this season in there head to head. I am not a person who takes note of what reporters say, I form my opinion.
Mainoo plays at a level Neves would struggle at, no top clubs are after neves, which, if he was as you describe surely there would be. By the way I don't count psg as a top club.
He is lightweight, looks Okay in a lesser league. Sorry, but I don't get your over the top description of his talents.
 
For 50M+addons we should have been in for this signing. We never buy ballers like him and then wonder why we cant control games.Crazy he went for less than what we got Mount for
 
FOG said:
By Proof, I mean what has he achieved, nothing in my book, completely schooled by Varela this season in there head to head. I am not a person who takes note of what reporters say, I form my opinion.
Mainoo plays at a level Neves would struggle at, no top clubs are after neves, which, if he was as you describe surely there would be. By the way I don't count psg as a top club.
He is lightweight, looks Okay in a lesser league. Sorry, but I don't get your over the top description of his talents.
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He is 19 years old playing his first full season for Benfica, what exactly is there to achieve? Strange expectations you have for him. You don't need to take note of what reporters say, but the entire football world is fully aware of Joao Neves. Us, Arsenal and PSG have all been after him, but Benfica set a ridiculous price that no top club are going to pay for him. Real Madrid are loaded in midfield so obviously they aren't going to be in for him. While on the subject, what top club is after Mainoo?
You don't have to listen to what I have to say, just watch him in games for Benfica or take a look at statistics. He is absolutely not light weight just because he is small. Thiago, Makelele and Kante were small, they were still beasts defensively and made more tackles and interceptions than most midfielders.
Can you explain to me what you don't think he is good at?
 
He didnt want to come here he wanted to go to PSG. And Benfica were happy to take Renato Sanchez on loan as part of the deal. Who were we going to send, McTominay?

Having finished 8th in the league we were never going to be in the running against a champions league team that are going to win things
 
Grand Vizier said:
He is 19 years old playing his first full season for Benfica, what exactly is there to achieve? Strange expectations you have for him. You don't need to take note of what reporters say, but the entire football world is fully aware of Joao Neves. Us, Arsenal and PSG have all been after him, but Benfica set a ridiculous price that no top club are going to pay for him. Real Madrid are loaded in midfield so obviously they aren't going to be in for him. While on the subject, what top club is after Mainoo?
You don't have to listen to what I have to say, just watch him in games for Benfica or take a look at statistics. He is absolutely not light weight just because he is small. Thiago, Makelele and Kante were small, they were still beasts defensively and made more tackles and interceptions than most midfielders.
Can you explain to me what you don't think he is good at?
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This is oddly reminiscent to what people said about j.Felix. I think his transfer to A. Madrid was around £120m + at the time
 
BaguetteBoy said:
This is oddly reminiscent to what people said about j.Felix. I think his transfer to A. Madrid was around £120m + at the time
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I don't think there's anything odd about acknowledging the best talents in football because they may turn out like Joao Felix. Mainoo, Wirtz, Musiala, Garnacho, Yamal, Nico Williams, Yoro, Güler are among the best talents in football as well, and they deserve the hype. Neves has a ridiculous skill set for someone at his age and very rare for a midfielder. There are plenty of examples from the Portuguese league that succeeded elsewhere. I suppose you wouldn't have signed Ronaldo from Sporting because there is a chance he wouldn't succeed? ;)
 
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Murder on Zidanes Floor said:
Must question his mindset if he chose PSG, same with any player.
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Kid is 19 and having the type of coin and promises thrown at him that turn him from a moderate earner to rock solid millionaire in the space of a season, let alone over the duration. I'm pretty sure that he's naive enough to think there's an exit strategy from PSG whenever he wants it, too.

The folly is in having Mendes as an agent. He's also going to have mega sway over the kid and his family in the 'trust me, bro' stakes.
 
PSG gets you to CL knockouts and they sort of broke the stalling at round of 16 streak they had. Luis Enrique gives a lot of cachet and the sense there's a real game plan to come, there's a ton of young players and it's not an hollow promise he could establish as a starter.

Real, City, Bayern, maybe one or two other English clubs, perhaps Barcelona... There's not a ton of more sexy destinations without an established midfield.
 
Fortitude said:
Kid is 19 and having the type of coin and promises thrown at him that turn him from a moderate earner to rock solid millionaire in the space of a season, let alone over the duration. I'm pretty sure that he's naive enough to think there's an exit strategy from PSG whenever he wants it, too.

The folly is in having Mendes as an agent. He's also going to have mega sway over the kid and his family in the 'trust me, bro' stakes.
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A) he's likely already a millionaire.
B) any UK club will give him the same pay increase.
 
Murder on Zidanes Floor said:
A) he's likely already a millionaire.
B) any UK club will give him the same pay increase.
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He’s 19 coming out of Benfica’s academy as a breakout player, likely on his first contract (?), so no, not likely.

B, I doubt. I don’t believe state clubs are all above board, either. They can throw in sweeteners, but even if not, if he blows up there, he’ll be paid a king’s ransom to be placated.
 
Fortitude said:
He’s 19 coming out of Benfica’s academy as a breakout player, likely on his first contract (?), so no, not likely.

B, I doubt. I don’t believe state clubs are all above board, either. They can throw in sweeteners, but even if not, if he blows up there, he’ll be paid a king’s ransom to be placated.
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You're telling me he wouldn't get £2m signing bonus and £120k PW at a PL club?
 
Not too arsed. Anyone who signs for PSG could easily be back on the market in a couple of years.
 
For those complaining about the fee, there's no chance we would've got the same deal. The Mendes angle, was huge in this.

I also don't see him staying there long-term. I don't really see the French league develop and he'll be back on the market for a new challenge before 5 years.
 
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