Bernardo Silva has claimed that he 'will pull strings' in an attempt to persuade Portuguese compatriot Joao Neves of Benfica to join Manchester City in the future.
Neves has quickly developed into a first-team regular for Benfica and has filled the void left behind by fellow midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who completed a reported £107m transfer to Chelsea in January.
The 19-year-old has made a total of 38 appearances for the Portuguese giants since making his senior debut in August 2022, starting 15 of his 18 appearances so far this season.
Neves made his international debut for Portugal last month and he also featured twice in Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Iceland last week.
The youngster's rapid rise on the European stage is believed to have alerted a number of top European clubs including Manchester United, who allegedly scouted the midfielder when he scored his first goal of the season in a 2-1 Primeira Liga victory over Sporting Lisbon earlier this month.
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Man United are said to be considering a January move for Neves and Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes recently spoke highly of the teenager, who allegedly possesses a £105m (€120m) release clause in his Benfica contract that expires in June 2028.
However, Portugal teammate Bernardo is prepared to help Man City in their efforts to hijack Man United's proposed move for the highly-rated midfielder.
Bernardo, a Benfica academy graduate, heaped praise on Neves when discussing the midfielder at the Quinas de Ouro gala, where he and Ruben Dias were honoured for winning the Champions League with Man City.
"I am very happy for Joao and other kids who are appearing in Benfica's team and also in the national team," the playmaker said as quoted by the Metro.
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"Joao Neves in the Premier League? I think that players with quality can play in any championship. I see him very focused on his club, which is the most important thing at the moment, a very young player but with a very promising future ahead of him.
"He arrived at the national team, settled in and integrated very well. He's another one to help, if the coach thinks so, to help us help win the European Championship.
"For City instead of United? If I can, I will pull strings to Joao Neves to go to Man City. I'd like to see Joao joining City instead of Man United, of course."
Bernardo has also spoken about his future following much speculation over an exit from Man City in the summer, and he has reiterated his desire to return to boyhood club Benfica before he hangs up his boots.
Oliver Thomas
