Former Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt loses a jewel. As expected, Paris Saint-Germain have opened their wallets wide and signed top talent Joao Neves from Benfica Lisbon
One look at the statistics is enough to immediately understand that Joao Neves has long been a special player despite only being a tender 19 years old. Born in Tavira in the Algarve, the professional has already made an impressive 50 first division appearances for Benfica Lisbon and nine Champions League appearances. He has also been a member of the senior squad since 2023 as a former international (nine caps). He has already made two appearances at this year’s European Championship in Germany alone
A steep price tag: PSG will pay up to 70 million euros
This is another way in which Joao Neves has recommended himself for higher tasks. As had been expected for some time, the central midfielder is joining top French club Paris Saint-Germain. This was announced by the wealthy club on Monday – and according to media reports, they will pay up to 70 million euros for the promising player. According to the Portuguese daily Record and the French sports newspaper L’Equipe, 60 million euros will be paid immediately and a further ten million euros as possible future bonuses. In Paris, the right-footer will receive a contract until 2029 – one year longer than his current contract in Lisbon.
“Joao is one of the most talented players in Portugal and internationally,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is quoted as saying in the club’s press release. “At Paris Saint-Germain, we continue to build a fantastic young team based on teamwork, talent and collective spirit – this is the foundation for the great future of our club.”
Joao Neves’ path to and breakthrough at Benfica Lisbon, where former Leverkusen player Roger Schmidt (in charge since 2022) finally turned him into a professional, was mapped out from the very beginning. As a child, Joao Neves had already joined his home club Casa Benfica Tavira – one of several so-called “farm teams” of Benfica.
The transition to Lisbon finally took place in 2016 and from there Joao Neves developed more and more into a promising top talent, who finally made his debut in the Primeira Liga in the 3-0 defeat against Sporting Braga on December 30, 2022. 75 competitive games as a Benfica professional later, he is now following the PSG lure to become an absolute top force.
In Paris, PSG’s Portuguese squad planner Luis Campos in particular had campaigned for the signing of his compatriot. Coach Luis Enrique was also keen on the top talent, who, unlike Manuel Ugarte, who also came from Portugal last year, is not only strong against the ball but also in possession