Sir Jim Ratcliffe is rumoured to be in talks with super agent Jorge Mendes about Joao Neves joining Manchester United. This puts the club one step closer to their first summer acquisition, but the British billionaire has given up on the idea of bringing a top-tier winger to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are preparing for what may be one of the most pivotal summers in Premier League history. Behind the scenes, a number of new faces will be seen: Omar Berrada, who decided to leave Manchester City, will take over as CEO; Jean-Claude Blanc will also join as a director; and Dan Ashworth will become the team’s first-ever sporting director when a compensation agreement with Newcastle is reached.

In an attempt to make a definitive determination on Erik ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager, Ratcliffe has already taken steps to appoint Jason Wilcox as technical director. Wilcox’s primary responsibility in this position will be conducting a formal assessment of ten Hag’s managerial performance.

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Twelve players have already stated they would be leaving the team this summer, and with Ratcliffe, Ashworth, and Wilcox essentially forming a new transfer committee at Old Trafford, the Red Devils may also anticipate significant changes to their playing roster throughout the summer.

ARE YOU VISITING? One of the 12 Man United players, Marcus Rashford, declared the game finished as brutal Ratcliffe assured 10 players they were safe.

Since a number of well-known players and high earners are expected to leave this summer, a lot of attention will be on the players that United looks to sign. Ratcliffe must, of course, stay within their means.

Additionally, it’s been stated that Ratcliffe wants to bolster United’s spine by adding a defender, midfielder, and striker to his wishlist, but it’s unclear which stars will be signed.

Man Utd transfers: Ratcliffe approves Joao Neves’ signing
With top earner Casemiro expected to be fired this summer and Sofyan Amrabat coming off of a disappointing loan term, they have their sights set on signing a new central midfield player.

And because Kobbie Mainoo was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise extremely poor season, Ratcliffe is placing a lot of attention on finding the teenager a new partner in a revamped engine room axis that will benefit the team for a considerable amount of years to come.

Because of this, United has frequently been connected to a transfer for Joao Neves, the teenage sensation from Benfica who is also highly regarded by United captain Bruno Fernandes and has established himself as one of the greatest young players in the league.

Ratcliffe has apparently approved a deal to make Neves their first summer acquisition, signalling that negotiations to bring him to Old Trafford have now intensified.

Furthermore, Ratcliffe has reportedly met with his agent Mendes to attempt to work out the details of a potential transfer for the adolescent, according to the Daily Mirror.

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Reaching a personal agreement won’t be a problem, and convincing the midfield player to take the step should also be easy.

The price of a possible trade, meanwhile, would be problematic since Neves has a significant £102 million (€120 million) departure clause in his Benfica contract.

Fortunately, Benfica has already made it clear that they will need to make a significant trade this summer, and Neves and defender Antonio Silva appear to be the strongest candidates to go.

In order to do this, it is believed that United and the Portuguese team can work out a deal for about €80 million (£67 million).

Rafael Leao trade with Man Utd thrown out
Although United’s interest in Neves is widely known, not as much is known about the team’s other summer targets.

Ratcliffe has provided an insight into United’s transfer strategy, stating that the team would focus on recruiting up-and-coming players who have the potential to become global superstars rather than big-name players like Kylian Mbappe.

Neves in that regard is appropriate.

Ratcliffe responded, “That’s not where our focus is,” when questioned about signing the biggest names in the world.

“Investing a large sum of money on a select group of excellent players is not the answer. Over the past ten years, they have done that.

“Putting the proper individuals in the right positions to manage and organise the club and making sure our recruiting is done correctly should be our top priorities. Finding fresh players is such an important element of managing a football team these days.

The AC Milan striker Rafael Leao is the second client of Mendes that Ratcliffe reportedly turned down during those discussions, according to the Mirror.

With the departures of Jadon Sancho, Facundo Pellistri, and maybe Saturday’s goal scorer Antony, the Red Devils will also probably need a new winger this summer.

However, it seems doubtful that they would spend a lot of money to sign Leao considering his high asking price of £150 million, which is now thought to be beyond United’s capabilities and the very kind of transaction Ratcliffe is hoping to avoid.

Alternatively, United may try to sign a fashionable winger who has made just 11 Premier League starts this year and already has seven goals and four assists.