Chelsea could sign Enzo Fernandez’s replacement at SL Benfica but face competition from PL club

Chelsea face competition from Manchester United for the signing of Joao Neves

Chelsea will be active when the winter transfer window approaches, as they have already been linked with a young prospect. The Blues have expressed interest in signing Benfica star Joao Neves and face competition from Manchester United.

According to TeamTalk, (h/t Express) United are looking to replace Casemiro and have identified Neves as an ideal replacement for the Brazilian midfielder. Neves’ quick ascent to the first team has been commendable, and the midfielder already has 33 appearances in all competitions.

The Blues, who have previously done transfer business with the Portuguese side, are aware of their high demands after they signed Enzo Fernandez for £107 million. Neves could also follow the Argentine to Stamford Bridge, but the Blues presently have enough depth in defensive midfield.

The West Londoners’ primary objective was to land a defensive midfielder last summer following the exit of N’Golo Kante, and they signed Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia as the Frenchman’s replacements. Both players are also young enough to future-proof the role for years to come.

Signing Neves doesn’t look necessary for now because we have to keep in mind that Ugochukwu should also receive enough minutes on the pitch. Since the Frenchman is unquestionably as talented as Neves and is the same age as the Benfica man, we should place more emphasis on developing him rather than purchasing another defensive midfielder.

We currently have decent options in defensive midfield, so it doesn’t seem urgent to add a third alternative because Neves is still a young player and needs to play frequently to continue developing at Benfica. United are also eager to obtain him, and he would be a better fit there given that Casemiro has not been able to have much of an impact on the Erik ten Hag team’s defensive midfield this season.

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Chelsea’s primary objective is to find a lethal striker, while other positions have enough depth right now. We have to avoid overburdening our midfield or defence.