Joao Neves: Paris Saint-Germain complete deal to sign Portugal international from Benfica - 'I'm going to give my all'
By Oli Gent
Updated 05/08/2024 at 19:43 GMT+1
One of the summer transfer window's biggest sagas is over as Joao Neves was unveiled as a Paris Saint-Germain player. The Portuguese midfielder joins the club from Benfica, who have received a reported €70 million for their academy graduate. Neves said: "I'm going to give my all to help my team-mates, to grow at this fantastic club and to win numerous titles.”
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Joao Neves has completed his move to Paris Saint-Germain from Benfica.
The midfielder joins the Ligue 1 champions for a reported €70 million (£59.3m) fee, as PSG look ahead to a new era without Kylian Mbappe who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.
PSG had pursued Neves for months, and have finally won the battle for his signature after a plethora of teams, reportedly including Arsenal and Manchester United, registered an interest in him.
Last week Benfica sporting director Rui Costa was quoted by Fabrizio Romano: "It’s sad to see Joao leaving us, he’s a top player and top guy but we can’t reject a €70m package as of today. It’s simple, we can’t say no."
Following his arrival to the French champions, Neves told the club's official website: “I'm very proud to be joining Paris Saint-Germain, a very ambitious club.
"I'm going to give my all to help my team-mates, to grow at this fantastic club and to win numerous titles.”
Neves was part of the Portugal Euro 2024 squad that was knocked out in the quarter-finals by France, with Roberto Martinez's side losing 5-3 on penalties.
The 19-year-old featured just twice at the tournament, playing a total of 77 minutes. His sole start came in a much-changed XI during the final group-stage game - a loss against Georgia.
Neves broke into the Benfica first team in January last year, when Roger Schmidt was the manager, and he made his debut coming on late as a substitute in a 3–0 league defeat to Braga.
He established himself as a regular starter at the Estadio do Luz when Enzo Fernandez departed for Chelsea, and he racked up 50 senior appearances for his boyhood club, scoring four goals.
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“We are delighted to welcome Joao Neves to the Paris Saint-Germain family. Joao is one of the most talented players in Portugal and internationally," PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.
"He was so passionate to join Paris Saint-Germain and determined to fight for the jersey - which is what we expect of 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.”
Sanches returns to Benfica - 'I always thought I'd come back'
Renato Sanches, the Portugal midfielder, went the other way, returning to his boyhood club Benfica from PSG.
Sanches, who will wear the no. 85 shirt at the Estadio do Luz, had a poor loan spell at Roma last term, playing just seven times at the Serie A side.
However, he is hoping to kickstart his career back where it all began for him.
"This is a very satisfying moment," he told the Benfica club website.
"After eight or nine years, it's a bit emotional to talk about it because it's a club I've always liked and I've always thought I'd come back one day.
"Benfica has always been my boyhood club, so it's always hard not to think about going back, because it's a place where you feel good. In terms of the clubs I've played for, I think Benfica was bigger than all the others in terms of greatness.
"I think everyone already knows what I can add to a team. I'm here to help, to do my best, to make the team stronger and win what we have to win this year."
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