Manchester United warned against signing £100m wonderkid João Neves for one key reason

Manchester United have been warned about signing Benfica wonderkid João Neves for one key reason by a club legend.

Neves, 19, is one of the most exciting talents in Europe. He is currently excelling at Benfica, where he’s made 49 appearances so far this season.

The midfielder’s performances this term have made him a hot commodity and worth over £100 million, according to reports.

United are one of the clubs with interest in the 19-year-old, but club legend Andy Cole has question marks over United’s history with this kind of signing.

Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Angel Di Maria are just some of the big-money signings that have not worked out how United would’ve liked.

Whilst Cole admits that clubs will now simply have to pay the price tag to get the man they want, he also notes that United are currently walking a tightrope in relation to financial fair play.

The ex-striker stresses that his former side cannot make another big-money mistake this coming summer and that if someone like Neves was signed, he would need to be a “bang-on” signing.

“If the player you want has a price tag of £105 million or £110 million, and you really want that individual, then you’re going to have to pay it,” he said when BetFred asked about United’s interest in the teenager.

“If you believe that they’re going to improve your team, then you’ve got to pay whatever’s asked. Transfer fees nowadays are absolutely unbelievable, but if you want an individual, you’re going to have to pay just that.

“Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford, there’s been a Manchester United tax, and Manchester United have spent a hell of a lot of money on a lot of players.

“You turn around and say to yourself ‘wow, they’ve paid over the odds for him’, and by the time you realise, a year or two later they’ve sold that individual for less than half of what they paid for them in the first place.

“Manchester United aren’t in the position to do that anymore with FFP, so whoever they bring in now has to be bang on.”