It was another weekend to forget for Chelsea Football Club as they found a way to drop points to a ten-man Burnley side at home.
Mauricio Pochettino has been unable to create a coherent and effective team from the plethora of talented players at his disposal, and the pressure is now starting to mount.
It was the sort of game in which no player can come out looking good, but there are still a number of seriously impressive players in the Blues' squad who are having a mediocre season.
One of those players is World Cup winner Enzo Fernández, who has shown genuine quality at points this season, and now it looks like the club could be about to replicate his signing with another young talent in the summer.
Latest Chelsea transfer news
According to a report from Portuguese publication O Jogo (via Sport Witness), several top-flight clubs, including Chelsea, are interested in signing Benfica's talented youngster Joao Neves this summer.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have been 'keen for a while' but will have to compete with Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain for his signature.
The other sides won't be the only obstacle for the Pensioners to contend with, however, as the report also reveals that the young midfielder's supposed release clause stands at around €120m, which is about £103m, although it is said that As Águias want to increase that to around €150, which converts to about £128m.
It would be an undeniably expensive deal to complete and arguably a massive gamble from Todd Boehly and Co. Still, by signing Fernandez from the same club just over a year ago, they've proven that they are willing to sanction such deals.
How Neves compares to Fernandez
Now, if Chelsea were to complete this signing, there would be a couple of apparent similarities between the two players, notably that they'll cost over £100m and come from the same club, Benfica.
There is also the fact that the pair are both incredibly talented midfielders and play – or played in Fernandez's case – a crucial role at the heart of the Lisbon outfit. Still, with Neves being just 19 years old, fans of the west Londoners shouldn't expect him to come in and immediately impact the first team, regardless of his price.
However, his genuinely impressive performances in Portugal suggest that there is a possibility he could thrive in the Premier League.
According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across the next best 14 competitions, the "complete" midfielder, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, ranks in the top 2% of midfielders for attempted passes, the top 3% for blocks, the top 8% for tackles, the top 9% for pass completion, the top 10% for successful take-ons, and the top 11% for progressive passes, all per 90.
Passes Attempted
Top 2%
Blocks
Top 3%
Tackles
Top 8%
Pass Completion
Top 9%
Successful Take-Ons
Top 10%
Progressive Passes
Top 11%
Aerials Won
Top 14%
Non-Penalty Goals
Top 15%
While those are undeniably impressive stats, they would likely come down slightly in a tougher league, such as the Premier League. However, the fact that the Tavira-born gem is already performing to such a high level suggests he could adapt to a more challenging league with time and proper management and guidance.
Moreover, with his preferred position being more of a defensive midfield role, he could well partner Fernandez at the heart of the next great Chelsea team, learning and growing alongside a fellow Benfica prodigy, although Moises Caicedo may be less than enthused about that prospect.
In all, while the enormous sum of money involved in any deal would make this something of a gamble from Boehly and Co, that hasn't stopped them in the past, and if Mango is correct in his assessment of Neves as being a "future star", then it may well be a gamble worth taking.
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