Liverpool midfield 'target' Joao Neves speaks out on uncertain Benfica future after glowing form

Joao Neves, who Liverpool had reportedly sent scouts to monitor earlier this season, has refused to rule out a move away next season.

Neves, 19, is one of the most adored young talents in Portugal and he is hoping to follow in the footsteps of a long line of midfielders to emerge from Benfica in recent years. Enzo Fernandez, Axel Witsel, Renato Sanches, Nemanja Matic and Ramires are just some of the stars to emerge, and Neves could be next.

Back in November, it was reported that Liverpool had sent scouts to watch Neves face Sporting in a huge Liga Portugal clash. And they were joined by the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal who also had scouts at the game, according to 90min. The game in question was a late 2-1 comeback victory which saw Neves net in the 94th minute, before teammate Casper Tengstedt secured all three points in the 97th. As per Fabrizio Romano, the midfielder has now revealed that he has no promises about staying in Portugal next season. “Staying at Benfica next year? I can’t promise anything for next season. My wish at the moment is to stay at Benfica and then we will see, you never know”. While it's clear he has one eye on the future, the club have him locked down to a deal until 2028 meaning there are under no pressure to sell him and removing from that deal would certainly not be cheap.

Granted, with just 55 appearances under his belt for the club, he still needs time to develop. Their Europa League campaign and title charge are two key targets for the club this season and Neves, who has made 17 league starts this season, is set to be a key figure.

A tough-tackling but high-energy midfielder with the technical schooling of a Portuguese player certainly makes for another strong profile; perhaps a date with Liverpool in the Europa League could re-spark the club's interest as other players have secured moves after strong performances against Klopp's side.