We literally just swapped Mikhitaryan for Sanchez a few years back. This wouldn't be a straight swap either. The likes of Amad, Antony, Martial, and Lindelof could easily be used as part of a player/cash deal.
Joao Neves
- Thread starter Zoo
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Him and Wirtz in midfield, together with Mainoo, it would be the most dominant in Europe, equivalent to Barca 09 or Real 2014-17.
Maybe Amad but wouldn't make much difference in the fee, for all the other I don't think Benfica would've interested
Maybe a return for Lindelof? Otamendi must be on his last legs now surely.
Why are people fawning over him? Looks nothing special to me. I don’t see exceptional passing, vision or defensive attributes. Some scruffy dribbling, maybe tidy in possession and that’s it. He’s weak and light weight too. So again, what’s so special about him? Someone tell me.
Someone tell the man ffs
Can you?
You haven’t seen him play. Simple as that.
I don't have specific information on João Neves, however, Benfica typically has a high standard for their players, so being part of their squad suggests he likely has some level of skill and talent.
That’s a nothing explanation. Every professional footballer has some level of skill and talent.
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Have you?
I've watched him for Portugal, playing like 8/10 position. While he was very very good, the EPL is a much different type of game.
I really don't know if he has the physicality for this league, but...
His positioning and vision is very very good.
Mate I live in Lisbon. I was at the Sporting game where he stood out a mile. Iv been at 5 games live and seen most of the rest on TV. This kid will go to a bigger club not if but when. Forget the physical bit hes got plenty dig maybe due to his age too much at times and gets over excited but hes very young. Like most of Portugal my friend all eat sleep drink Benfica and they all think he’s mustard. Bruno loves him and I’m sure he’s pushed him to United. I don’t see it due to cost €120m is his buy out I believe though doubtful he leaves this summer anyway. Likely Silva first then Joao the following summer we may be better placed then too.
Wouldn't it be a bit lightweight?
Barca had Busquets who was immense when it got to getting down and dirty, Madrid had casemiro at his prime.
We need an enforcer who can really play too. Someone who can win the physical battle in there when needs be. I think Neves is very nippy and can win the midfield, a bit like Herrera but classier on the ball. Get someone like Onana too and we are a totally different proposition.
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Onana at least what I've seen from him seems to be too crude to make it at a top side.
On the other can't really say I can think of many promising DMs right now, seems to be a dearth of them at the moment.
I think he has bags of potential. It’s hard to not see it. I think he can go up a few levels and be a really physically dominant midfielder.
To me he looks like a midfield version of our own Martinez, such a tidy operator in tight spaces and seems great at outsmarting a press or a 50/50.
Pairing him with Mainoo would be about as balanced as you can get with a proper double pivot. Couple of 6/8 hybrids.
Pairing him with Mainoo would be about as balanced as you can get with a proper double pivot. Couple of 6/8 hybrids.
Fantastic little player. I'd never ever complain if we signed someone as brilliantly watchable and talented. But I don't think he's what we need. I don't think he's actually what a lot of people on here really want, either.
This is not a player who will give you more control in midfield. He's a battler. He gets half a foot on every ball, even when he has no right to. He manages to keep dribbling even when he's riding tackles and fouls and half-losing the ball. He stays in the fight for the loose ball and his quick feet and quick brain shine when it's a real melee in midfield.
But compare to Mainoo. Around Mainoo, there are no loose balls: either he makes it his, quickly and cleanly, or he correctly judges that the opponent has it, and he stays right side of them and defends. If the dribble is going to force him to ride tackles and fouls, he doesn't dribble: he passes or turns or shields instead. He doesn't win a melee in midfield, he prevents it from becoming a melee.
To be very reductive, Neves is a Klopp player, and Mainoo is a Guardiola player. Neves will thrive on transition, and create more, and probably do more individually. Mainoo will facilitate team dominance, crank up pressure, reduce risk. His 'every touch' videos will be better than his highlight reels.
You might say the two would complement each other, but I don't think so. I think they're stylistically at odds. Neves would destabilise Mainoo. Mainoo would dull Neves.
The player to complement Mainoo is a Rodri type. Positional discipline and nous to complement Main's ability to play equally confidently across the entire pitch. Grit and 'defence-first' mindset to complement Main's purity of style. Carefulness with possession to match Mainoo's.
This is not a player who will give you more control in midfield. He's a battler. He gets half a foot on every ball, even when he has no right to. He manages to keep dribbling even when he's riding tackles and fouls and half-losing the ball. He stays in the fight for the loose ball and his quick feet and quick brain shine when it's a real melee in midfield.
But compare to Mainoo. Around Mainoo, there are no loose balls: either he makes it his, quickly and cleanly, or he correctly judges that the opponent has it, and he stays right side of them and defends. If the dribble is going to force him to ride tackles and fouls, he doesn't dribble: he passes or turns or shields instead. He doesn't win a melee in midfield, he prevents it from becoming a melee.
To be very reductive, Neves is a Klopp player, and Mainoo is a Guardiola player. Neves will thrive on transition, and create more, and probably do more individually. Mainoo will facilitate team dominance, crank up pressure, reduce risk. His 'every touch' videos will be better than his highlight reels.
You might say the two would complement each other, but I don't think so. I think they're stylistically at odds. Neves would destabilise Mainoo. Mainoo would dull Neves.
The player to complement Mainoo is a Rodri type. Positional discipline and nous to complement Main's ability to play equally confidently across the entire pitch. Grit and 'defence-first' mindset to complement Main's purity of style. Carefulness with possession to match Mainoo's.
Any links or did someone just have a good season in FM24?
Great, he has a nice "bite" in him, how do you think he'll do in the middle for a EPL club?
I disagree a bit. I think they would compliment each other. Mainoo is a bit more relaxed off the ball, whereas Neves gets stuck in and works hard off the ball.
Mainoo needs someone to cover space around him.
The only thing I think they’d lack is experience due to both being very young and maybe height at set pieces.
We also have lacked intensity in our game over the years and Neves offers that.
He‘s the kind of player who operates at 100% intensity for the full game.
I can't see it as of now but physically speaking you're right he's top notch , guess we'll have to wait to see if he takes the next step or not.
I agree. I really think his physical attributes are being blown out of proportion a little. He’s 174cm, 1cm shorter than Mainoo and a whole 6cm taller than our best ever midfielder in the Prem era, Scholes.
He’s currently a high intensity box to box but I can see him capable of developing into a more cultured technical player in a few years. Him and Mainoo really could be a special midfield duo.
Poster is talking about Onana from Everton .
My bad
Well analysed.Convinced enough to add 'ffs' but literally has no clue
Agreed. He does remind of Herrera but slightly more mobile across the ground. I also agree that signing someone like a Onana with the aim of 'controlling space' in a higher defensive line is a must along with signing CBs who also are adept are being strong channel defenders. I think if the club neglects those attributes when looking to develop the team, then we we'll carry on giving the advantage to our rivals who are clearly strong in the aspects mentioned above. I think it's pretty obvious what needs to be done and I think it will be done.
Alan Varela at Porto was MOTM against Arsenal yesterday in the UCL tie and he's someone that I wanted us to take a chance on last summer. Strong dueller, intelligent positionally and looks a far more natural deep-lying playmaker/DM than the Benfica kid, Neves and IMO would cost considerably less. One of Onana, Lucas Gourna-Douath or even a Fofana from Monaco on a reduced fee due to his contract situation alongside a Alan Varela would make the midfield more balanced as far as dealing with what the EPL demands.
On a side note, I was just reading about Joao Neves losing his Mother to Cancer a few days back. And that has made feel very sad and I hope he can recover with time because that is a monumental loss especially for a young 19 year old.
Potentially World Class. He has the potential to go right to the Top. However with the emergence of Mainoo not quite sure at this stage if spending £100m on him is ideal plus a 3 of Mainoo, Joao and Bruno may not be the best fit. Mainoo and Joao with an Onana type cleaning up would be extremely exciting. At this stage you are paying a big premium for Potential (Same if Someone was to try and buy Mainoo or Garnacho.). Its highly unlikely he will leave Benfica this summer anyway. Next summer you could see it happening. This Kid currently has a very very high ceiling for sure. Some team ultimately will be very lucky to have him.
Completely forgot about Varela. Would be an interesting shout but no idea how he’s done this year?
Nicholas Gaitan vibes-type signing rumours.
Thats what people always thought when facing the magic trianable at barca. Those 3 kids can defend in equal measure as they attack. Under a right system, jn a tram excellent at pressing they'd be pure hell to play against.
I always thought people cared far too much about size/height when talking about midfields. Many forget that Prime Barca midfield ran like terriers everywhere out of possession and swarmed/nipped into everything. Just because they were short didn't mean they were weak/easy to deal with.
Supposedly was very good tonight from reports. He has recently lost his mother as well, absolutely crazy he's playing, but commendable he is still putting in performances with all that going on.
I wasn't well aware of Varela's development at Porto. Great to hear he is doing well and he could really be an interesting option for the DM position!
Busquets is 6'3.
Coincidentally.
likewise
Busquets was not the one I was talking about. Even then he wasn’t some physical tank, his entire game relied upon freakish anticipation off the ball with incredible composure on it at the base of that midfield.
The Barca midfield or the Barca team as a collective was developed for many years with the positional play principles that Cruyff implemented at the club and the club embraced those principles. The likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi etc are some of the greatest players of all time and that team was a anomaly and not the norm. And they had the ability to throttle teams in-possession and out of possession by implementing a very effective proactive approach to winning the ball back whether that be against Real Madrid domestically or the Man Utd team with Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez up-top with Scholes and Carrick in midfield in the Champions League.
So it wasn't about height or physical advantages with that Barca team but rather the method implemented by Cruyff and the incredible collection of talent they developed over many years. And on top of that they were better than everything other team in the league as far as finances are concerned with the exception of Real Madrid. So my preference would always be to dominate all phases of play with players like Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi etc, but I have to be realistic and attempt to understand the collective strengths of the EPL and how the top teams are developing their squads to control games. Even Guardiola had to adjust his tactics to control the defensive transition in a higher line by signing Akanji and Ake.
So it's not about height, but rather about controlling spaces out of possession, which will become large spaces upon losing possession, and players with height like Maguire and Matic may not be best suited to controlling those larger spaces but a little guy like Kante would be better equipped imo. But a combination of height and athleticism along with a level of technical ability in possession is something that will work in the EPL going both ways and can be moulded into a backline or midfield that is well equipped to exert control in possession but also exert control out of possession which is a requirement.
And to the questions posed about Alan Varela, it seems his start to life at Porto has been distributed by injuries. But I do remember tuning in to watch a game between Porto and Benfica and I thought he was the standout player in midfield and was utilised as the sole pivot in the build up phase unlike Neves who's more of a box to box type midfielder with high energy. Porto were down to 10 men from the 19th minute onwards and it made things very difficult for Porto, but I still thought Varela was good in the game considering they were down to 10 men for a large part of the game and they eventually lost out to a goal from Di Maria.
But if you want someone who gives you the natural balance of playing in a single and even a double pivot, then Varela makes much more sense than Neves. He's also about 5'9, but he covers ground quickly, which is a advantage in the EPL.
So it wasn't about height or physical advantages with that Barca team but rather the method implemented by Cruyff and the incredible collection of talent they developed over many years. And on top of that they were better than everything other team in the league as far as finances are concerned with the exception of Real Madrid. So my preference would always be to dominate all phases of play with players like Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi etc, but I have to be realistic and attempt to understand the collective strengths of the EPL and how the top teams are developing their squads to control games. Even Guardiola had to adjust his tactics to control the defensive transition in a higher line by signing Akanji and Ake.
So it's not about height, but rather about controlling spaces out of possession, which will become large spaces upon losing possession, and players with height like Maguire and Matic may not be best suited to controlling those larger spaces but a little guy like Kante would be better equipped imo. But a combination of height and athleticism along with a level of technical ability in possession is something that will work in the EPL going both ways and can be moulded into a backline or midfield that is well equipped to exert control in possession but also exert control out of possession which is a requirement.
And to the questions posed about Alan Varela, it seems his start to life at Porto has been distributed by injuries. But I do remember tuning in to watch a game between Porto and Benfica and I thought he was the standout player in midfield and was utilised as the sole pivot in the build up phase unlike Neves who's more of a box to box type midfielder with high energy. Porto were down to 10 men from the 19th minute onwards and it made things very difficult for Porto, but I still thought Varela was good in the game considering they were down to 10 men for a large part of the game and they eventually lost out to a goal from Di Maria.
But if you want someone who gives you the natural balance of playing in a single and even a double pivot, then Varela makes much more sense than Neves. He's also about 5'9, but he covers ground quickly, which is a advantage in the EPL.