Soccer - France - French Ligue 1 - Toulouse v Paris St Germain - Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse, France - August 30, 2025 Paris St Germain's Joao Neves celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Alexandre Dimou
Manchester City have identified PSG midfielder Joao Neves as a top target. The Portugal international hugely impressed in his debut season with PSG last season, anchoring the side that lifted the treble including last year’s Champions League.
Neves finished 19th on the Ballon d’Or shortlist and FootballInsider has reported that the player has now emerged as Pep Guardiola’s “dream signing” ahead of next summer’s transfer window. Pep Guardiola’s men are in search of a long term successor to Rodri, who has been hampered by injures for the better part of two seasons.
Rodri missed almost the entirety of last season after tearing his ACL during the club’s 2-2 home draw with Arsenal in September 2024, not featuring again until the latter stages of the season against Bournemouth in May of 2025.
He made his full return at the Club World Cup over the summer and has played a bit part role for City so far this season. He made five appearances so far but was left out of the squad that beat Burnley 5-1 last Saturday. He returned to the team for the 2-2 draw with Monaco on Wednesday but did not play the full 90 minutes.
City keen on Neves
Rodri could be just one of many Guardiola looks to replace, with reports circulating of a potential overhaul of the City midfield. After Ilkay Gundogan’s late departure this summer, uncertainty continues to surround Mateo Kovacic’s role, while Bernardo Silva’s form as of late has been called into question.
Silva is also strongly linked with a lucrative summer move to Saudi Arabia this summer, while Matheus Nunes continues to be linked with a move to Napoli. The departure of all four could spark a mini exodus.
Despite City adding as Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez in recent transfer windows, they are understood to be on the market for more young long-term midfield reinforcements. Bayern Munich’s Aleksander Pavlovic is also a known target for the club.
Neves fits the profile at just 20 years of age. He is emerging as one Europe’s brightest stars for his intelligence on the ball and positional discipline. City is reportedly willing to offer as much as €120 million to sign the player.
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