Exclusive: Man Utd have been scouting “very expensive” duo for months, says transfer expert Fabrizio Romano

Manchester United have been scouting Benfica duo Joao Neves and Antonio Silva for months, but neither deal will be easy to get done this summer as both players are likely to be very expensive, according to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano.

The two Portuguese talents have shone brightly at Benfica, establishing themselves as two of the biggest prospects in Europe, and it seems inevitable that they’re going to be the latest big names to leave Benfica for a top club.

We’ve often seen Benfica sell their stars, with at least one usually leaving each summer, and Romano has spoken exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column to discuss the latest on Neves and Silva amid interest from Man Utd.

It seems the Red Devils have been monitoring both players for some time now, but it’s clearly not going to be easy to get them out of Benfica without paying big money, so it remains to be seen which player will be seen as a priority, and which one might be slightly easier to negotiate for.

Fabrizio Romano’s update on Joao Neves and Antonio Silva

Responding to the latest speculation on Neves, Silva, and United, Romano said: “I’m also aware of fresh reports on United and Benfica duo Joao Neves and Antonio Silva. Man United have scouted both players for months but we should also remember that that both are going to be very expensive. So far, there have been no official bids for Neves or Silva yet but it’s going to be really open in the summer.

“Reports in Portugal say that Silva is more likely to be Benfica’s big sale, rather than Neves, but my understanding is that it’s open and depends on the proposals that come in.”

MUFC fans will no doubt hope their new-look board and recruitment team can see them do well in transfer races like this one, as they’ve so often over-spent on flop signings while their rivals have been able to snap up top talents like this before they hit their peak years.