Paris Saint-Germain announced the arrival of SL Benfica midfielder João Neves on Monday and the teenager noted the reason he chose to come to the French capital.
According to The Athletic, Neves joined PSG in a deal valued at around €60 million, with an additional €10 million in potential add-ons. As part of the arrangement, PSG midfielder Renato Sanches will join Benfica on loan.
The 12-time French champions beat out interest from several European clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United, to land the 19-year-old. Neves, who can play in various midfield roles, is now set to negotiate personal terms before officially moving to the French capital.
Neves spoke with PSG’s official website and explained what attracted him to the Parisians’ project.
“The project is fantastic, the club is huge,” Neves said. “It’s a young club with big goals and I think this way of thinking and trying to make the club stronger with young players is a very good project. It’s a club that has big goals, and already has many records.”
The midfielder had a standout season for Benfica last year, featuring in 33 league matches and playing every minute on their journey to the Europa League quarter-finals, where they were eventually defeated by Marseille.
