Bernardo Silva has encouraged his Portuguese teammate Joao Neves to sign for Manchester City, instead of Manchester United. The 19-year-old Benfica midfielder, has impressed with his performances, and has now attracted interest from top Premier League clubs, including Manchester United. “If I can, I will pull strings for João Neves to go to Man City. I’d like to see João joining City instead of Man Utd, of course!” Silva stated in an interview. Earlier, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes had openly praised Neves, saying that it would delight him to have the performing player join Manchester United. Portuguese star Joao Neves – Getty image “I would love to have him at United. But it’s Joao’s choice… He has top quality. He’s a great player, but it depends on the coach’s ideas. He will have a great future, in United or somewhere else.” Despite the interest from both Manchester clubs, Benfica remains keen on keeping Neves, and any potential suitors would need to meet his reported release clause of £105 million. Joao Neves made his international debut alongside Fernandes and Silva for Portugal last month, and has been making waves with style of play since then.