Liverpool's £38m midfield 'target' tops all European competitions with impressive stats

Liverpool target Joao Neves is catching the eye in Europe after a brilliant campaign across the Champions League and Europa League.

Neves, 19, has starred for Benfica this season in the heart of midfield and has progressed from the age of 11 through the levels until he made his first-team debut in 2023. The Portuguese side have churned out plenty of midfielders across the years, with many trying to follow in the footsteps of Enzo Fernandez - and Liverpool, among many others, have sent scouts to watch him.

Over the last few years, big money moves have been made by Darwin Nunez, Joao Felix, Ruben Dias and Ederson and Neves could be the next as he is already valued at £38m (€45m). He's already become an established figure, playing 42 times this season, making 38 starts. Following his 800-plus minutes of action in Europe, he currently tops the charts across the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League for key midfield metrics which clearly demonstrate a midfielder with a bright future.

Despite his diminutive five foot seven height for a defensive midfielder, he boasts an incredible tenacity and hunger to win the ball back. According to Squawka, he tops the list for most duels won, most tackles made and the most possession won across the three competitions. Given how past players have ascended to great heights from the club, if Neves continues his trajectory, the club might demand a fee far greater than his current value. His contract expires in 2028 and he spoke out earlier in the season on his future, refusing to rule out a move away in the near-future.

But how does he compare to the current Liverpool midfield? Well, he averages more tackles, more blocks, more progressive passes, more attempted passes, more interceptions and more successful take-ons than both Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister, but those numbers are from an inferior league.

Despite their interest, there are many others also looking at him that could sign him before Liverpool. Especially considering they already have the likes of James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Stefan Bajcetic who play in the same position which should save them spending a sizeable fee. Neves remains a top-class talent who will eventually make a move to a top club, but will it be Liverpool? Only time will tell.