Manchester United have “held talks” with Benfica over the signing of midfielder Joao Neves, according to The Sun.

The English tabloid claims that the Red Devils have made a formal approach for the Portuguese Under 21 international who has already been described as “Bruno Fernandes 2.0”.

It’s unlikely that a deal will happen this summer, though, with Benfica having made it known that they want to keep hold of the player for at least another season.

However, The Sun believe the 18-year-old harbours a “dream” to play in the Premier League so he would clearly be open to making the move in the future.

Chelsea are also known to be interested in Neves, although their poor relationship with Benfica could hamper their efforts.

Who is Joao Neves?

The midfielder came through Benfica’s academy, making appearances for the B team in the Portuguese second division before being handed his first-team debut against Braga at the end of last year.

Since then, Neves has made 24 appearances, scoring his first senior goal against fierce rivals Sporting in a Lisbon derby back in May.

United are considering moves for other midfielders

While Neves is likely to be a long-term option for the Red Devils, the club are also expected to recruit a more experienced central midfield player before Friday night’s deadline.

Manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen to add another no.6 to his squad and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat remains the number one target. The Manchester club have been heavily linked with the Moroccan international all summer but they haven’t made an official bid up until now.

The main reason for that is United were hoping to offload a player first to fund their offer for Ambrabat. However, neither Donny van de Beek nor Scott McTominay have left Old Trafford so they may have to get creative in how they finance the transfer. Reports suggest that Fiorentina could be open to a loan with an obligation to buy next summer and that may be a solution that is explored.